No Escape
by AbsoluteNegation
Summary: A desperate bid for freedom fails, and Eleyn fins herself caught in a far worse trap than she could ever have imagined. AU, F/F. Gyokumen/Yaone. : Dub-con, non-con, bloodplay, D/s, SM, M/s, torture, asphyxiation slight . DARK. COMPLETE.
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer: **This fanwork is based on characters and situations created and owned by Minekura Kazuya. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. No profit made.

* * *

It was late on a moonless night when Eleyn made the decision to run. She hadn't been actively thinking about it, though the idea had slipped into the back of her mind some months before. Still, it had been there and now here she was, slipping silently through the house, picking up a share of the already meagre supplies her family shared. She tied a chunk of bread and some cheese into a square of cloth, then stole out of the house as quickly and quietly as she could. She would have liked to take some milk with her, but the single cow would be dry in the morning if she did. Her brothers would have a long day of hard work ahead of them; they would need it far more than she would.

Eleyn turned back once, but the starlight wasn't enough to see her home for more than a darker shape in the darkness, seeming to huddle protectively against even her now. It would be a long time before she would see it, or her family, again. The thought sank into her belly like a sharp, cold stone as she turned and stepped deliberately away.

It wasn't as if they hadn't tried, but the proper channels had been denied and she couldn't remain here forever, a burden on her family until she died. Her father had already been talking with others on the manor, searching for a suitable match. It was only luck that had kept her from being married off to one of them thus far. Eleyn knew those men and she had no desire to wed back into the same life in which she had grown without at least the comfort of a husband who didn't disgust her. Too clever by half, her mother had often said when Eleyn's mouth had driven off another who came seeking her hand. Of a naturally sweet disposition and uncommon beauty, God had done Eleyn no favours in not making her a dullard; even she cursed Him for it as she watched her hopes dwindle to nothing before her eyes.

She had tried to follow her father's direction, to sit quietly and to reconcile herself to the inevitability that one of the men from the manor would eventually be her husband. Eleyn had looked at some, tried to see what influence she might have, how she might improve things to suit her, that she might live in relative comfort, if not happiness. They had looked back at her, those men, with the dull calculation of livestock in rut, and bile rose sour in her throat. Eleyn had cultivated a face for others, but the thought of living forever behind that subservient mask clawed at the edges of her mind.

Coming to the edge of the land her family worked, Eleyn stopped to take stock of the surroundings. She knew this land well, but it looked alien in the darkness, the line of the trees a forbidding wall designed to keep her in. Ruthlessly crushing the sudden urge to turn and run back home, Eleyn picked her way through the mane of long grass that bordered the forest before disappearing into the darkness beyond.

* * *

Eleyn supposed that she should be thankful that the manor guard were better behaved than in other places; rough though they were, the men who captured her had left her unmolested through the night she had spent in their care. In the morning she had been lifted to sit behind one of them on his horse, her hands bound in front of him, her arms around his waist. Eleyn, for all she chafed at it, knew her station in the world - her treatment at the hands of these two men was far, far better than she had any right to expect.

All through the morning ride back to the manor house, Eleyn remained silent, answering the few questions put to her quickly and carefully and keeping her thoughts to herself. She had prepared as much as possible for her journey, but certain things were beyond her control. That she could neither read nor write had proven to be a much larger problem than she had expected. Had she been able to find a way to sneak a look at a map, Eleyn was sure that she would have been much further removed from the manor by the time they had found her. She could have managed it, she knew, but she was unwilling to trade her virtue for the chance - a decision she would revisit, should she ever have another opportunity to escape. Of course, that was subject to her ability to _understand_ the damned thing; without letters that was far from certain.

The necessity of moving at night had been obvious, but Eleyn had underestimated the ease with which the forest could confuse, in darkness. If the manor didn't stretch so very far, she could have moved along the river. Dalhamm, however, was an old and vast estate; the serfs and slaves that worked its lands were relatively prosperous and loyal almost to a fault. The fact that the Lady of the manor was known to be by turns ruthless and capricious to those she had cause to meet was, after all, of no concern to those who stayed clear of her wrath. No, traveling the fertile banks of the river was a dangerous route, even in daylight and on horseback, moving inexorably toward punishment.

Unused to sitting a horse at all - let alone for several consecutive hours - eventually Eleyn grew stiff and tired. The guard (this one was Godun, she seemed to remember) paid her no heed when she let her back bend a little to rest her cheek on the back of his shoulder, for which she was grateful. The ease and leisurely pace they set assured Eleyn that she had not, in fact, got very far from home at all. If they could afford to allow their horses to saunter back at such a speed, they must not have very far to go to return to the manor house. Tears stung her eyes, and she slid them shut with a sigh.

The sun climbed ever higher, the heat of the summer day slowly burning away the cooler air where it collected in hollows and the long shadows of morning. Godun nudged Eleyn with his shoulder as they halted their horses beside the river. Eleyn lifted her head, taking in the landscape around her. A sharp fear knifed through her as she realised that she knew exactly where they were.

"All right, girl," Godun rumbled, his voice not unkind for all its gruff efficiency, "time to eat." With that, he pulled his dagger from his belt and cut the rope that bound Eleyn's wrists. She nodded silently, sighing with relief as the rope fell away. The other guard (Berg was it?) came to help her down from the horse, and she couldn't help but marvel at such treatment for a mere slave. It was said that Lady Lucia of Dalhamm was oddly specific about the conduct of those attached to her manor and that she was universally uncompromising in dealing with disobedience. Though most who worked the manor managed to escape her notice entirely, there were those who had faced the Lady's displeasure and paid dearly for it - if they returned at all.

The truth was that it shouldn't have had to be this way. Eleyn had done everything right, but the Lady had seen fit to deny her family's petition to allow her to marry off the manor, for reasons that she chose never to state.

Eleyn picked at the rough meal the men shared with her, quietly lost in her own thoughts. Running didn't even cross her mind; they would only be obliged to give chase, and Eleyn was under no illusions regarding her chances in that case. She watched with a dispassionate expression as they prepared to set off again, though her stomach was twisted with apprehension. Berg set his hands on Eleyn's waist to help her onto Godun's horse once more and she had to bite back the almost overwhelming urge to strike him and bolt, such was her rising fear of the Lady's retribution.

A few more hours saw them entering the manor grounds proper, by which time Eleyn was torn between trembling and a consuming anger at the woman who had forced her to this course. She slid from the horse with her hands on Berg's shoulders, held herself still while they bound her wrists before her once more. Suddenly the hands of the guards on her arms chafed in a way it hadn't before, and it was all she could do to force down the desire to fight, to fly as they led her across the wide courtyard. Wanting to scream at them that they needn't hold her - that she would walk to her fate on her own - Eleyn bit her tongue against the words instead. As it were, she was incapable of keeping herself from trying to wrest from their grasp, which only led to a tightening of their fingers upon her. The tiny corner of Eleyn's mind that managed to retain its composure warned her of the consequences of allowing her instincts to rule her, but the fear of what was to come deafened her to it.

Their steps grew out of sync, the guards' hands pulling at her arms until her wrists burned from the rope that bound them. Jerking back from Godun's grip particularly hard, Eleyn stumbled and nearly fell, but the strong hands that held her simply dragged her back up to her feet, wrenching her wrists viciously. A loose strand of hair fell across her face as she found her feet again and she shook her head to try to settle it into better position, rather than risk another tug from the men against her abused skin. To no avail, it turned out, as Godun shook her roughly.

"Quit your struggling, girl," he hissed as Berg shouted out to a servant to fetch Lady Lucia, "and keep your mouth shut in front of the Lady, you hear?"

Eleyn favoured him with a glare far more venomous than he deserved, jerking back from his grip half-heartedly. She knew she ought to be more kind, as they had been with her, but the cold coil of terror had settled into her gut now. She simply couldn't find it in herself to be charitable to the men who had dragged her back to the manor house and the fierce punishment she knew she now faced.

Godun and Berg traded wary looks across Eleyn's back and Godun snorted quietly. "She'll be in a foul mood this time. Fifth one this year we've had to catch, and she was none too gentle on the last one." Berg pursed his lips, simply nodding in response.

"I wonder why," Eleyn muttered and then winced as Godun shook her again.

"Shut your mouth," he hissed, "or you'll make-" He cut himself off abruptly, straightening and pulling Eleyn up with him as Lady Lucia emerged from the manor house. Eleyn hissed as the rope dug into her wrists once more, the guards' fingers digging deeply into the soft flesh of her upper arms. With no real choice, she drew herself upright, fighting against the terror in her belly as she watched Lady Lucia come closer. Staring boldly at her, Eleyn carefully shoved the fear down, schooling her anger to the fore.

Lady Lucia frowned as she stalked toward Eleyn and her captors, her gaze sweeping quickly over them as she came to a halt. "Well," she snapped, "what's this, then?"

Godun managed somehow to snap even further to attention. "One of your slaves, my lady," he said quickly, "We found her on the borders of your land, likely trying to escape."

The Lady raised an eyebrow at Eleyn, taking another long look at her. "Is that so," she mused thoughtfully.

"She was carrying a pack with food and clothes in it, my lady," Godun went on, "...including meat." Eleyn clenched her jaw against the tightening in her stomach at his words.

Turning to look at Godun for barely a second, the Lady silenced him with a quick gesture. "So," she murmured, almost to herself, "a runaway _and_ a thief." There was an odd kind of calculation in her eyes that struck Eleyn to the core; her instincts screamed at her to run from it, but all she could manage was another futile tug against her captors, quickly abandoned. Not quickly enough, it seemed. The Lady tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly at Eleyn's tiny display. "Oh, look," she purred, "it has a spine." The backhand strike that followed was so casually and fluidly done that Eleyn had no warning, no ability to turn or lessen the blow in any way. Her head snapped to the side under the incongruous force of it. "How interesting," the Lady mused, that calculation creeping into her voice now, along with an edge that Eleyn didn't need to see to understand. Lady Lucia was _smiling_.

Eleyn's stomach clamped tight, the fear clawing at her again, gaining purchase over her fury. Still, she clung to what she could of it as she straightened, turning back to the Lady with a burning glare. Lady Lucia returned her gaze evenly, one hand under her chin as she considered Eleyn with a soft chuckle.

"Quite a spine, it seems," the Lady's gaze roamed slowly over Eleyn's body once more, obviously speculative. Eleyn's cheeks flushed under the scrutiny and Lady Lucia's mouth curled into a cold smirk as she reached out to pat Eleyn's cheek. With a curt nod, she barked to the guards, "Bring her to the cellar," then turned on her heel and walked briskly toward the side of the house. Godun started smartly after her, yanking on Eleyn's arm as he stepped forward and she barely managed to keep her feet, rushing to catch up.

The cellar, as it turned out, was not truly a cellar at all. Only partially under ground, there were just a few steps down to the door and even windows set high in the walls to let in the daylight. Eleyn had never seen anything quite like it - not that she knew anything about such things; she had hardly seen more than her own farm and the few ragged shops in the village. Still, her idea of a cellar was the dark, rough pit that sat beneath the trapdoor in her house. It certainly wasn't anything like this relatively bright, stone-lined, suspiciously _clean_ room. There was even a fireplace along the outside wall.

All this, Eleyn took in with a quick eye as the guards hauled her through the doorway and part way across the room. There was a table to her left, various strings and knives set neatly in its centre. This must be where they prepared herbs for drying and suchlike, then. A tall wooden post set into the floor near the far wall and a few chairs here and there were the only other furnishings.

She drew herself upright as the guards stopped. Her fury just barely stronger than her fear, Eleyn clung to it, stoking it for courage. Though she didn't look at the Lady, Eleyn was aware - and wary - of her. She caught the change of light as Lady Lucia nodded, heard the cold edge of a smile in her words as she spoke.

"Good," Lucia murmured, and Eleyn could feel the weight of the gaze that slid over her, making her shudder. After a long moment, "Do I have to tell one of you to fetch the whip?" the Lady demanded, her voice razor sharp in the quiet room. Berg scrambled to obey, earning an almost inaudible sound of approval from Lady Lucia. Eleyn's gaze followed Berg as far as possible as she jerked against Godun's hold again, wanting to be free, at least, of the bruising grip on her arm. Wasn't it enough that she was trapped?

The Lady stepped in close to her, drawing Eleyn to look at her once more. There was a strange light in Lucia's eyes as she looked Eleyn over, both similar and somehow completely separate from that calculation she had seen in the eyes of the men she had known. A shiver raced down Eleyn's spine, though she managed to keep her gaze far more steady than her body in the face of Lucia's frank appraisal.

"Hmm," the Lady purred, "I think that I shall just watch them whip you, this time."

Eleyn clenched her jaw hard enough to send pain shooting through her jaw in an effort to keep her reaction from showing too clearly. A whipping was certainly not unheard of in cases like hers; she could be thankful, in fact, that she would be released with so little. The guards had caught her out with that rabbit, after all. The punishments for theft could be far, far worse than-

The end of Lucia's sentence sank in, and Eleyn's thoughts came to a crashing halt. Her eyes widened, then narrowed as she fixed Lucia with a disbelieving stare. "_This time?_"

Lacy Lucia's smile widened at the response and she reached out to tilt Eleyn's chin up a little. "Oh, so you speak as well, do you?"

Eleyn jerked her head to the side, tearing her jaw from Lucia's grip. "If there's any worth talking to," she hissed and then demanded, "What do you mean, _this time?_"

Untouched by Eleyn's fury, Lucia's smile didn't falter a bit, her hand instantly dropping to wrap tightly around her throat instead. Squeezing just a little as Eleyn squirmed under her grip, the Lady said softly, "Careful, or you'll lose more than the skin of your back." With that, she let go, and Eleyn swallowed hard against the lingering sensation of those long fingers pressed to her flesh. Though she stepped back, Lucia held Eleyn's gaze, her malicious smile bearing out the threat. "I see no need to answer to you."

Eleyn shot a look at Godun as the meaning of Lucia's words solidified in her mind. He stared straight ahead, for all the world as if he hadn't just heard Lucia's thinly veiled revelation. A wry grimace twisted Eleyn's features briefly as she considered that, with a mistress such as the Lady Lucia, he must be more than familiar with not hearing things. Still, she wasn't about to accept it so easily.

"You can't keep me here."

Lucia raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused. "Oh, can't I," she returned, the question not a question at all. She flicked her gaze over Eleyn's shoulder as Berg returned with the whip, giving him a little nod. Eleyn turned to look at him as he stepped close to her, the sight of the instrument he held making her knees feel weak and wanting to buckle beneath her.

She sucked in a sharp breath as she studied the whip - a flog, really - with its thin, vicious-looking tails and well-worn grip. Lucia of Dalhamm had earned her reputation, if that thing was anything by which to judge. Gathering herself as best she could, Eleyn turned her gaze back to the Lady.

"I know how it works," Eleyn said, he voice low and trembling despite her best efforts, "you can't." Her throat suddenly dry, Eleyn swallowed hard, "So get it over with and let me go."

The sound of Lady Lucia's laughter was the last thing that Eleyn expected to hear, and it both angered and shamed her as the Lady reached out to slide fingertips down the side of her face. "The rules? Who is here to enforce them? Who will defy me?" Lucia asked, tracing Eleyn's lip with her thumb, holding her gaze levelly.

Sudden understanding struck Eleyn like a physical blow, stealing her breath. Silently, she cursed herself for a fool as she realised that she'd just let her mouth talk her into a far worse situation than she had imagined. That this whipping would only be the beginning was imminently clear, and Eleyn began to tremble as her fear finally outstripped her pride and anger.

"But you can't," Eleyn murmured, unable to stop herself soon enough. She licked her lips as she retreated to defense, "I...I didn't mean-" Eleyn dropped her eyes, hating herself for the weakness of it, knowing that she had less than no choice. "My lady, please..."

"You presume to command me?" Lady Lucia hissed, cutting Eleyn's plea short, _"You?" _Eleyn cried out as Lucia raked her fingernails viciously down the side of her neck, jerking away from the pain, though not fast enough. She could feel the welts rising on her skin and the prickle of blood welling up in the abrasions as the lady continued, "I don't think you understand your place very well, _slave_." The Lady stepped back a little, and Eleyn risked a glance up at her, looking away again with a tiny shiver as she caught the unsettling smile on her lips.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Lucia snapped at Berg, "Get on with it."

Eleyn winced, biting back the sharp retort that sprang to her mind, determined to stay quiet as Lucia reached out to her, sliding cool fingers over the marks her fingernails had made, making them sting sharply. She might still get out of this all right, if she could just keep quiet, appear subservient. Perhaps the Lady would grow bored of toying with her if she could manage to be...uninteresting. Despair sank hard into her belly at the thought. Though she despised the very idea, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was the only possible answer.

"I'll see to correcting your opinions of yourself later," Lady Lucia drawled.

"I'm sorry," Eleyn ground out, but the apology was belied by the edge of anger she couldn't quite force from her voice, delivered as it was through clenched teeth.

Lucia gave a low chuckle, her amusement at Eleyn's struggles obvious. "Oh, I'm quite sure you are," she purred, licking delicately at the blood on her fingertips before reaching out to smear it over Eleyn's mouth and wiping the last of it on her dress. Eleyn's tiny grimace went either unnoticed or ignored as Lucia continued, "Not as much as you will be, however."

Squeezing her eyes shut, Eleyn berated herself again for not falling back to the pretense of repentant slave earlier. She had _known _the reputation of the mistress of Dalhamm for cruelty and caprice! How could she have been stupid enough to let her anger control her? Perhaps the priests were right about pride. Taking a deep, calming breath, she tried again, "Yes, my lady," she said, but even she could still hear the fury hiding beneath the words.

"Your lies are pitifully transparent, slave." Lucia gestured to Berg, calling him forward. "You may begin now."

Her breath suddenly caught short in her chest, Eleyn struggled to keep herself still as Berg moved in behind her. This was her last possible moment of escape, but there was none. No matter which path he mind took, she kept coming back to the same answer. There was nothing she could say or do now, to change what was about to happen. Tears welled up in Eleyn's eyes and she pursed her lips together, biting at them in an effort to stop herself crying, recoiling form the copper taste of her own blood.

"Oh, yes," Lucia breathed as she watched Eleyn, her gaze like a weight, her voice nearly obscene.

Eleyn hunched her shoulders, shivering at the well-known sound of metal through leather as Berg drew his dagger. Godun finally released her arm, stepping back a little and taking the flog as Berg took hold of Eleyn's cote, pulling it back, tight against her chest while he slid his blade through the fabric. Focussing her gaze on a crack between the stones on the floor, Eleyn tried not to notice the way her body jerked with Berg's movements or the strange tingling of her skin as the cooler air touched her exposed back. Then the guards had hold of her again, dragging her forward. Almost numb with fear now, just wanting it to be over, she went with them, meekly allowing them to raise her arms over the top of the wooden pillar she'd seen before. So this was its purpose, Eleyn thought as her bound wrists caught on a metal spike driven into the back of the pole. It hadn't made any sense, before.

Berg's large hands pushed at the remains of Eleyn's clothes, baring as much of her back a possible before both men stepped silently away from her. She held firm against the shudder that wanted to wrack her body, feeling utterly exposed and terrified of what was to come. Lady Lucia walked slowly over, standing close to the wall and fixing Eleyn with a cool gaze and an enigmatic little smile. She licked her lips, a soft, approving hum rising from her, and Eleyn couldn't help but wonder if it was the taste of her blood that seemed to please the Lady so.

Lucia nodded to Berg, then looked back to Eleyn, her smile widening and so cruel as the leather descended across her skin. Eleyn whimpered, the remains of a cry caught behind teeth ruthlessly clamped shut against the pain, the sound mingling with Lucia's sharply indrawn breath. Eyes squeezed tightly closed, Eleyn sucked in a deep breath herself, thankful that she had the strength to hold her ground, though she was fully aware that this was just the beginning. When she opened her eyes again the Lady was there, that terrible little smile still on her lips.

"Yes...look at me," Lady Lucia murmured, "Look only at me. I want to see the pain, the terror in your eyes." The satisfied edge in her voice stirred Eleyn's fury once more; she called on it, shoving her fear down as far as she could, determined not to give Lucia what she wanted. Fists clenched, Eleyn took a half-step closer to the post, raising her head and pinning the Lady with a burning glare. Lucia gestured to Berg, and the flog descended again.

A low grunt escaped Eleyn, who flinched as the tails licked at her skin, but this time she opened her eyes again immediately. Staring directly at Lucia, Eleyn steeled herself, holding tightly to her rage and refusing to show the fear that Lucia wanted. Eleyn's stomach turned as that smile widened and Lucia's eyes slid half-closed.

"So much anger, little slave," the Lady chuckled, her voice low and teasing. Her lips parted slightly as the lash struck Eleyn's flesh once more, the slow fire building in her eyes growing that much more. Lucia reached out, sliding the backs of her fingers lightly down Eleyn's cheek, openly seductive and equally repulsive. Eleyn jerked back is if the touch burned, her lip curling in a half-snarl as she turned her head, breaking the contact.

The Lady laughed, her hand snaking out to grab a fistful of Eleyn's hair, instead. Leaning a little closer, she whispered, "Pull away once more, and I'll have them flay you to death."

Eleyn hissed at the sting in her scalp, fighting down her response; she was entirely sure that Lucia would have no compunction about carrying out that threat. The leather crossed her back again, and Eleyn whimpered quietly, her grip on herself slipping with every strike. Still, she choked back the sob that rose in her throat, wanting to close her eyes but unable to swallow her pride enough to allow it. Her back burned, lines of bright pain laced across her skin, half-naked and bound for what was increasingly obviously the Lady's _entertainment_, and Eleyn simply couldn't just give in.

Lucia's grip on her hair tightened, her soft sigh reaching Eleyn's ears as she stepped in closer. "Don't be afraid to scream, little girl," the Lady breathed, "I won't laugh too much, I promise." Eleyn swallowed hard, shoving down her disgust with the pleasure evident in the words.

Tears began to form in Eleyn's eyes again, the steady stroke of the lash renewing her agony at regular intervals. She set her jaw, grinding her teeth together until it hurt almost as much as her back, using every last ounce of her consciousness to try to hold back the cries that clawed at her throat. Suddenly the lick of the flog was different, the pain deeper, more searing, cutting through the vague numbness of the burn. Eleyn's eyes slammed shut, a whimper slipping out of her as she fought to control herself. The realisation that her skin was now splitting open tore through her mind, somehow worse than the pain.

Lucia watched, her body drawing closer, her words shifting from taunts to praise and back again. Eleyn lost her hold, slipping further and further from reality as the pain folded in on itself until every breath was an agony of heat and the copper smell of her blood. She cried out, sobbed and pleaded, her tears smoothed away by the soft touch of Lucia's tongue and Eleyn couldn't remember to hate her for that. Eventually Eleyn's body gave out, collapsing heavily against the post. She wondered briefly if someone was stabbing her wrists, unable to lift her head to see and not really caring anymore. After what felt like an eternity, the slightly familiar presence of her guards returned and they lifted her, taking the worst of it away.

Distantly, Eleyn heard the commands, "Have her cleaned up...bring her back..." but she couldn't rouse herself to make sense of them. Something in the words tugged at her but when she tried to focus on it, it slipped away, skittering out of the light. She retreated into herself, wanting so much to let the world go, but afraid of the darkness that lapped at the edges of her mind.

Then they were carrying her toward the door, their movements shaking and jostling until she simply couldn't fight it anymore, sinking into that darkness like a stone.


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer: **This fanwork is based on characters and situations created and owned by Minekura Kazuya. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. No profit made.

* * *

The girl was walking of her own will this time – or at least she had enough pride to pretend she was, despite the guards holding her arms securely, moving just quickly enough that they wouldn't have to shove her. She was almost demure in her appearance, eyes cast down in a rather creditable attempt at humility. Lucia smiled, crooking a finger at them, calling them over to her.

"Well, aren't _you_ putting on quite the display of obedience," she murmured, studying her intently. The maids had done a good job with her - they'd washed off what had looked like half the mud one of Lucia's fields, and someone had apparently at least tried to run a comb through her hair. Lucia smiled. The girl was pretty enough under the muck, thick dark hair and deep brown eyes, the kind she preferred.

The girl looked resigned enough for now, but then she'd seemed so earlier as well. Interesting. "My Lady," she whispered without raising her eyes.

The defeat in her tone was delicious; Lucia purred, tipping her chin up with a finger, looking into her eyes. "Hmm. Perhaps..." she trailed off, leaning in to kiss her pretty mouth again, the same light touch as earlier, smiling as she felt a tiny shiver run through her, felt her will herself to stillness. "You'll do as I say, won't you?" she murmured against her lips, before stepping back a little, watching her swallow at Lucia's breath feathering across her lips.

"Yes, my Lady. I was-" Luckily, she caught herself before she could speak further, biting her lower lip to keep from blundering forward and making her mistake worse. Her eyes lowered again, in fear and fake humility.

Lucia chuckled darkly, patting her cheek. "Good." She slid her thumb across the girl's lower lip, tugging it away from her teeth. "Go lie down on the table, on your back."

The girl started a little, looking up at her with those wide, innocent brown eyes. Lucia could almost taste the moment when she realised how much that would hurt – and the second when she understood Lucia didn't care. "But-"

Lucia raised an eyebrow "But?"

She took a shaky breath, her gaze dropping again. Lucia saw the tightening of her shoulders as she pulled the tatters of her resolve together, the tight control in her body as she shook her head silently.

A slow smile curved her lips. _Such_ a pity she didn't realise that that control would only make Lucia more eager to break it. "Mm, very good," she murmured, and snapped her fingers, concealing her smirk as a tiny shiver ran through the girl. "Get on the table. Now."

The girl turned and walked to the table, her fists clenching at her sides. Lucia could see the conflict racing through her; she could predict what might be going through her mind now, the inevitable cycle of disbelief, anticipation, fear and anger, blending together. The girl whimpered softly as she hoisted herself up to sit, her sole concession so far to the wounds on her back and the pain they were obviously giving her. Her teeth worried her lip as she lowered herself gingerly to the hard surface, looking straight at the ceiling, trying to hide her wince as her shoulders dropped to the wood. Lucia chuckled softly, stepping over to the head of the table, calling the guards over with a twist of her fingers. She knew that expression, the emotion behind the way the girl laid still despite the way the coarse fabric of her dress must have been digging into the fresh welts on her back. The defiance of hope was still burning in her.

Time to put it out.

She petted her hair slowly, taking in the startled gasp the gesture elicited with as much satisfaction as the shiver of fear that followed. This was what she enjoyed most about these moments: the way her victims clung to whatever kindness was offered, never mind that it was from the very person who directed their torment. Comfort, she'd learned early, was relative.

A slow smirk curved her lips as Godun unsheathed his knife. The sound of the metal was loud in the near-silent room, and anticipation sent a flutter of arousal through her; only her own control prevented her from shifting restlessly. The girl had tensed again, her body curling in on itself in fear, eyes wide as she stared up at her in horrified realisation.

Lucia hummed quietly in response, drawing her finger in a slow line across her chest. "Cut here," she ordered the guard. And don't misspell like you did last time, or I'll carve your heart out myself." _That _had been an unmitigated disaster. She'd been forced to send the girl away without doing anything further to her; the sight of her name butchered on skin had been entirely too infuriating, and that one hadn't been pretty enough to be worth the effort of looking away. She tightened her other hand in the girl's hair, pulling her head back, opening her throat and chest to Godun's knife, savouring her helpless whimper, the panic in her eyes. It would have been as easy to merely watch, perhaps more prudent (Edda did always cluck about her getting blood on her dress), but she enjoyed the power implicit in the act of holding her open, keeping her still, forcing her to take whatever Lucia felt she deserved. It felt almost as intimate as if she'd been parting her legs instead.

The knife made a hoarse tearing sound as it cut through the rough fabric of the girl's cote, and Godun ripped the neck away before he repeated the process on her chemise. It left her throat and collarbone entirely bare, along with a large part of her chest, her fruitless struggles only widening the tear until the tops of her breasts were exposed. Lucia smirked; he'd cut a larger gap than necessary, but she could hardly blame him for wanting to see a little more. Eyes could wander where they willed, as long as hands didn't follow.

"No!" Ah, she was begging already. It wasn't a very good sign of her long-term appeal, but then again, she'd never done this to a girl so soon after whipping her. Her eyes were wide and terrified. "Please, no...My Lady, please..."

Lucia tsked disapprovingly, yanking her head back hard enough to make her back arch. She watched appreciatively as the girl hissed, squirming to try to relieve the pain in her back; hummed, deliberately letting her voice grow cold as she replied, "Struggle, girl, and he'll cut deep enough to kill you. If you want to survive, I'd suggest you _hold still._"

She whimpered at her words, an utterly defeated sound, her jaw clenching as she struggled to still her body. Lucia tightened her hands, gripping the girl's hair and shoulder, looking over to check that Berg had her pinned down securely before she nodded at Godun. He bent to his task immediately, his hand steady as he began carving her name into the girl.

Blood welled up in the wake of his blade, and Lucia hissed, biting back a quiet moan. The girl's free hand was tight on the side of the table, a low whine rising in her throat. She had the sense – or perhaps she was just terrified enough – to remain absolutely still, which pleased Lucia. Not that Godun was careless enough to _kill_ someone he was working on, not after this much practice, but there was a definite risk that her thrashing around would ruin the mark. She studied the girl more carefully, smirking as she realised it was fury, not fear, in those eyes – that, and the animal cunning of the utterly hopeless. She made a quiet sound of satisfaction, savouring the tiny whimpers the girl made. This, this was the true pleasure of the cut; the claiming, not the pain.

That would come later, after all.

"Don't worry," she murmured. "I'll let you scream in a little while..."

The girl ground her teeth together, her breathing short and quick as she held back a cry, exhibiting rather more willpower than the others Lucia had had in this position. It seemed her initial impression had been right after all – there was just enough resilience in this one to make the testing of it all the sweeter.

Still, there was only so much she could expect a novice to endure… "Work faster, or she'll start struggling," Lucia snapped at Godun.

The girl made a peculiar sound, and Lucia looked down with a raised eyebrow to see her snarling rather creditably at her. "_Won't_," she hissed.

Lucia blinked, genuinely taken aback for a moment. Then the familiar cold burn of anger at defiance curled in her stomach again. "All right, then," she cooed. "Make it slow." She held the girl's eyes as she let the steel show in her next words. "And make it _hurt_."

The girl squirmed helplessly, instantly realising her mistake. "No! My Lady, I'm sorry... _please._"

Lucia laughed as the girl writhed, tightening her hold on her. "Oh, but such pride deserves to be rewarded," she said silkily. Nodded at the soldier to go on, watching as he continued cutting her name into her, moving slower, as she intended. The girl made a small sound of misery, her fingers tightening viciously hard on her arm as she fought to remain still, to lessen the pain. Her knuckles were white from the strength of her grip, her legs kicking a little in a vain attempt to give herself something else to focus on. Lucia knew that tactic, though; she chuckled a little, kneading her hand in her hair. Time to raise the level, then.

"Giving in so easily?" she murmured. "Hm. Then stay still and I'll tell him to go faster again."

Those pretty, dark eyes squeezed shut and she bit her lip hard, her face twisting as she tried not to cry. Lucia could see what it cost her to stop moving, and was strangely pleased by the effort. "Yes, my Lady," she whispered.

Lucia smiled, a pleased hum escaping her at her surrender. She petted her absently, deliberately delaying giving the order, taking in every shudder, the way the blood pooling at the hollow of her throat overran its confines and slid down the sides of her neck, waiting until the girl opened her eyes again. Tears welled in her eyes, the plea in her expression naked as she looked up at her, whimpering, "My Lady…"

Lucia hummed in agreement, licking her lips as the girl's tears flowed down her face to her hair, stroking her hair gently. "Mm, I know," she murmured soothingly, her gaze fixed on the blood running down the girl's neck, hissing in a quick breath as she fought not to lean down and taste. A quick command to Godun had him hurrying his work – he was close enough to finished anyway – and Lucia could focus on the girl. Those dark eyes, so filled with confused rage and agony, the blood such a lovely contrast to her skin… she could sense the conflict raging in the girl's body as she tried to please Lucia and hated herself for it, and oh, it was delicious.

Lucia curled her hand tightly in the girl's hair as Godun finished carving her name into her skin, stepping back before she could order him to. She made a pleased sound as she inspected the cuts; every line and flourish had been made correctly, as cleanly as if Godun had traced over her signature. The girl was still sobbing, her breathing erratic, but she was holding still, and she'd finally let go of her death grip on Lucia's wrist.

"Very good, slave," she murmured, releasing her shoulder to stroke her cheek and neck soothingly; the caress elicited a tiny shiver from her, and Lucia made comforting shushing sounds as she whimpered in pain and shock. "You can sit up now, girl," she murmured, giving her a gentle smile.

The girl blinked up at her again, confused by her soft expression. Nodded and took a deep breath, wincing as she sat up as ordered, looking back at her for further instructions almost meekly. Lucia hummed quietly to herself, her eyes sliding half closed. A quick glance at Berg satisfied her that the brand was ready to use; she nodded and murmured, "Take a minute to rest. You'll need it."

Something in her voice must have warned the girl; she followed Lucia's gaze to Berg, her eyes widening as she saw the long handle in his hand, trailing into the coals of the fire.

There was no way she could have predicted that that was the moment the girl would choose to run, or even that she had enough clarity of mind to actually remember how; but run she did, pushing herself away and off the table in one quick motion, fleeing for the door.

To their credit, the guards moved quickly. Berg dropped the brand to the floor, rushing to intercept her, and Godun caught her from the other side as she swerved to avoid him, pulling her against him, lifting her clear from the floor despite her frantic struggling and attempts to kick him.

Lucia sighed, raising a hand to her forehead, shaking her head disapprovingly. As escape attempts went, this one had been _miserable. _"Were you really planning to escape like that?" She jerked her chin at Godun, not deigning to acknowledge the way she shook her head miserably. "Bring her here." She waited until she was within reach to slam the heel of her palm against the cuts that spelled her name, her eyes narrowed, a vicious grin curling her lips as the girl screamed in agony, trying desperately to squirm away from her hand. Even Godun took an involuntary half-step back at her tone when she spoke again. "You are not permitted to leave unless I tell you to." She leaned in close, gritting her teeth around the words. "Is. That. Clear."

The girl nodded slowly, hanging her head, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. Lucia smiled slowly. "Excellent," she purred, before turning her attention back to her guard. "Put her down, and _hold_ her down," she snarled before turning to Berg, who'd picked up the brand again. "Are you quite finished? I don't have all day to see to this."

The girl didn't bother to struggle as he hauled her back to the table, but the impact on her back when he slammed her down on it forced a loud, sharp cry of pain from her. Lucia watched avidly as she struggled, licking her lips a little as the fabric of her dress and chemise tore further under his hands. The girl's eyes opened again, drawn inexorably to see what Berg was doing, flinching violently as she saw him wrap thick pads of fabric around the handle of the brand, pulling it from the fire.

Lucia stroked her cheek lightly, turning her gaze away from the guard with the brand, enjoying her struggles, the way her breath hitched desperately. The panic and desperation in her eyes, the terror rushing out with every shuddering exhale...it was simply too inviting, and she leaned in to kiss her hard, enjoying her shocked gasp, the way she went completely still in terror and indecision. Lucia pulled away slowly, licking her lips to taste her, ignoring Berg's gaze as she grinned down at her. "Bare her shoulder," she snapped at Godun, holding the girl's gaze as he ripped the loose sleeves off her arm. Her chemise was barely hanging onto her shoulder now, and her cote had already ripped all the way through in her frantic struggles. She looked like a small, cornered animal as she whimpered, too terrified to do more than tremble.

Lucia pinned her shoulder down with one hand, the other curling around her throat, pushing her back to the table hard as she nodded at Berg. "Hurry up and _do _it," she snapped. He nodded quickly, pressing the brand to her shoulder; an ugly sizzle, and the scent of burning flesh filled the room.

The girl screamed, a sound torn from the depths of her, bucking mindlessly against their hands, her legs kicking frantically as she fought against them, mad with the need to escape from the pain. Lucia's eyes slid shut, holding her down automatically as she struggled, a moan of pure pleasure escaping her as she revelled in keeping the girl powerless, watching her struggle so desperately and fruitlessly.

Finally, the scream broke down into helpless sobs, tears flowing freely as she mouthed half-coherent pleas. Her struggles grew weaker, finally stopping as Berg pulled the iron from her skin, slumping in exhaustion, her soft sobs of pain eliciting a purr of pleasure from Lucia. She stroked her sweat-damp face and neck gently with one hand, the other rubbing soothingly at her side as she crooned, "Shh, shh...it's over for now." The blood drying on her throat was irresistible; she leaned over to lick at it, sighing against her skin at the taste of it. The girl curled in towards the soothing press of Lucia's hands in an attempt to find comfort, clutching at her, her eyes unfocused, filled with pain. Her body began to shake with shock, her hand vice-tight on Lucia's arm as Lucia stroked and petted her, careful to stay away from anywhere that might hurt. She jerked her chin at the men in a silent command to get out. She kept an eye on them until she was sure they were still in position to intervene should the girl make another escape attempt, although she was fairly certain she wouldn't be able to find the wits to even if, by some miracle, she summoned the strength.

She was exquisite like this, really, trembling and weeping under her hold, bloodied and marked and incredibly _grateful_ for Lucia's presence despite it all. Lucia caressed her gently, murmuring reassurances into her ear, taking in every reaction with relish.

She waited until the girl had calmed a little, her tremors subsiding, before she untangled herself slowly from her, stroking a fingertip down her cheek. She licked thoughtfully at a drop of blood that had caught under her fingernail as she walked to the door, pausing for a moment in front of the guards.

"Send Sarah in to clean her up, treat her. She should know what to do. I expect the two of you to be responsible for her until you hand her over to Edda." She gave Godun a narrow-eyed look. "And I do mean _responsible__._"

She didn't bother to wait for their acknowledgment or salute before she stalked out of the room, heading back to her rooms, where Edda would doubtless be waiting with a change of clothes. The household was familiar enough with her...predilections, after all. Perhaps, if there were time enough, she would even have time to get rid of her lust before she had to face the daily whining about crops and gold. The thought quickened her step and put a small smile on her face, one no one could have mistaken for benevolence.

Time could always be made. That was the advantage of power, after all.


	3. Part 3

**Disclaimer: **This fanwork is based on characters and situations created and owned by Minekura Kazuya. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. No profit made.

* * *

Eleyn rolled her head to the side, stretching out her neck as she glanced out the window. The light that slanted against the wall had that particular burnt, orange appearance that only comes at the end of the day, when the sun begins to sink to the horizon. That fit well with the deep aching in Eleyn's muscles - she'd been here since morning. Alone and waiting for the Lady's return, she had nothing to do but wonder what was to come next.

Over first week or so, Eleyn had been kept in the bedchamber of lady Lucia's maidservant, Edda. An older, matronly and incredibly efficient woman, Edda had nursed Eleyn past the wounds that had been given her during her punishment with an assortment of salves and oils, and a gruff bedside manner. She'd recovered quickly, far more so than she would have thought possible; it seemed that Edda was used to tending such things.

Though she was injured, it was only a few days before Eleyn had been deemed well enough to assist with household things. Dried herbs and flowers had been brought to her for preparation for storage and for binding. She hadn't minded that at all; Edda's room was quiet and pleasant enough, and Eleyn found that occupation for her hands helped to ease her mind.

When she had recovered enough to move around with some degree of comfort (not nearly enough, but Eleyn was used to working through pain, from the farm), she had been taught to care for the Lady's bedchamber. Eleyn had spent the next several days there, never leaving the room without permission and the company of Edda. Her time was equally divided between boredom during the day and short periods of occupation, fear, confusion and anger when Lucia returned in the evening. The Lady seemed to enjoy keeping Eleyn on edge and uncertain of herself; one moment she was soft - almost kind - and in the next, she could be intensely cruel. That there was no measure of Lady Lucia that could be trusted was a lesson Eleyn learned quickly.

Then this morning had come, with a brusque order from Edda to get herself out of bed and ready to go downstairs. They had gone down together, Edda accompanying her to the kitchen for a hasty breakfast before taking Eleyn to a small kind of shed behind the house. Eleyn recognised it vaguely as being the same place she'd been taken after her whipping, and it was for the same purpose that she'd been brought, now. Edda and another servant had helped her bathe, scrubbing her with rough soaps and dumping buckets of freezing water over her to rinse it away. Afterward, she had been wrapped in a blanket and led back into the house, shivering and confused, and let sit by the fire to warm up.

Eleyn had thought that she was, perhaps, to be given something appropriate to wear and set to work somewhere at the manor house. (As much as she would have liked to think that she would be released, Eleyn was a practical girl and simply couldn't believe it.) Instead, Edda had brought her back up the stairs to Lady Lucia's bedchamber, where she had been stripped even of the blanket and bound to one of the tall posts at the foot of the bed. Edda had left, coming back twice to allow Eleyn to use the chamberpot.

She shifted restlessly from one foot to the other, then sank back to her heels, which pulled uncomfortably at her arms. Every joint in her body ached, the healing burn on her upper arm tight and itchy, and her stomach rumbled with hunger. Tired and afraid, Eleyn's cheeks burned with the knowledge that she would be pathetically grateful for the Lady's return.

As if in answer to her thought, there came a shuffling outside the door and then the creak of the hinges as Lady Lucia stepped inside. Edda bustled in behind her, heading for the candles as Lucia crossed the room to her vanity, both of them seemingly completely unaware of her presence. Tiny fires flared about the room wherever Edda went and though Eleyn followed her with her eyes, the fact that the woman didn't so much as look at her told her to keep her mouth shut.

Lucia pulled the pins from her loosely bound hair, and Eleyn watched it unfurl, golden and almost liquid in the strange light. When she'd been brought to Dalhamm, the Lady had been wearing a scarf, her long hair bound neatly up beneath it. Eleyn dropped her eyes as the lady moved, not wanting to be caught staring when she turned around. She shifted again, rising to the balls of her feet in order to relieve the growing feeling that her shoulders were about to tear apart.

The Lady turned, flicking her hand at Edda, who made a quiet, efficient exit. Eleyn watched her go from the corner of her eye, a tiny flutter of panic setting in as she realised that she was not to be released, yet. Unable to keep herself from it, Eleyn looked up at Lucia as she crossed the floor. Eventually she wandered over to stand in front of Eleyn, meeting her eyes with a slow, unsettling smile.

Cool blue eyes raked down over Eleyn's naked body, the gaze openly speculative and more than a little disturbing. She flushed, feeling horribly exposed under the Lady's scrutiny, and her breath caught short in her throat as she wondered what was coming next. Lady Lucia's smile widened slightly, one eyebrow arching as she met Eleyn's gaze again.

After a long moment, Lucia finally spoke, "What, not even a polite greeting? How discourteous."

Eleyn grimaced a little at the rebuke, answering quietly, "Good evening, My Lady. Please forgive my rudeness." She crushed the question of whether there would have been _any_ right way for her to have behaved, hoping that it won't show on her face. Lucia's low chuckle informed her that she hadn't quite succeeded. A muscle in Eleyn's back twinged and she dropped to her heels, arching forward minutely to try to ease the pain without wriggling too obviously.

"You're forgiven," Lucia murmured, stepping in close and raising a hand to Eleyn's cheek, "This time." Eleyn gasped a little at the delicate touch of Lucia's warm fingers against her cheek, exhaling shakily as they slid down over her jaw and throat. She could smell the warm, spicy scent of Lucia's bathing oils, strange and somehow inviting. A slow shiver made its way down Eleyn's spine as Lucia lightly caressed her collarbone.

"Thank you, my lady," she breathed, dropping her gaze in a belated effort to hide her reaction. Lucia stroked back up over Eleyn's throat, tilting her chin up, catching her gaze and leaning in toward her. Almost close enough to kiss, Eleyn swallowed hard as Lucia's breath feathered over her skin, caught between the hold of Lucia's eyes and a desire to watch the lips - too close - that didn't quite touch hers. Breath trapped in her chest, Eleyn just barely restrained herself from arching toward the warmth of the lady's body, a strange kind of tightening in her belly.

"Very good," Lucia murmured, her voice husky. A current shot through Eleyn's body, making her gasp, her skin breaking into gooseflesh and her nipples hardening almost painfully. Leaning back, Lucia slid another appraising gaze over her, a vicious grin curling her full lips as she took in Eleyn's reaction to her proximity, the way she pressed forward as Lucia pulled away.

Then the Lady's mouth was on hers, and a tiny sound of mingled protest and relief slipped from Eleyn's throat, shocking her. Lucia's fingers trailed down over Eleyn's collarbone again, sweeping frustratingly lightly over her skin as her tongue probed at Eleyn's lips. Inexperienced and unsure of what was expected, she parted them, taking Lucia's kiss passively. Her body far less hesitant, Eleyn winced a little at the twinge of pain in her shoulders as she automatically leaned forward.

She heard the low sound of disappointment, but didn't understand its meaning until Lucia's fingernails bit into her skin, tearing trails of fire down her side and across her chest, drawing blood and dragging a muffled cry from her. Eleyn fought a losing battle to keep herself still, writhing with the pain while her mind scrambled to figure out what to do. Latching onto the only thing she could think of, she mimicked Lucia's actions, kissing her back, immediately rewarded by the lightening of her touch. The Lady moved forward and Eleyn sagged a little as she pressed her against the bedpost, grateful for the sliver of extra support it gave her.

Lucia pulled away from the kiss, fixing her with a calculating look. Eleyn gasped quietly, her cheeks colouring deeply as Lucia cupped her breast gently in one hand, her jaw clenching tightly around a whimper at the fingernails digging into her side.

"Eager to please me, are you?" Lucia asked, "I wonder why." She pressed her fingers against the scratches in Eleyn's side, making her hiss with the sting of it. There was blood on them when she brought them up and she smeared some on Eleyn's lips, cold already and wet and unpleasant. Eleyn winced as Lucia licked at her fingertips, the cruel curling of her lips and the quiet purring hum as she tasted the blood turning Eleyn's stomach. She shivered roughly, caught between the sight and the tiny shock of pleasure that rushed through her as Lucia's thumb stroked her nipple.

"Is it not my place to please my lady?" Eleyn replied, her disgust and anger sharpening the edge of her words dangerously. Lucia's eyes went dead at the sound of it, and Eleyn sucked in a sharp breath, berating herself as she quickly dropped her eyes, hoping that it would be enough.

"Oh, very good," Lucia murmured, and Eleyn let herself begin to relax. "You're quick to learn your place." The blood Lucia had wiped on Eleyn's lips was beginning to dry now; she clamped her teeth together against the need to lick them, which made the blow that came a second later that much worse. Eleyn managed to choke down most of the surprised grunt as a burst of stinging pain exploded in her cheek, a shower of stars in her vision. She heard Lucia's voice dimly through the slight ringing in her ear, "Perhaps a little too quick to be sincere."

Panting quietly, her pulse racing from the shock, Eleyn pulled herself together. Turning back to look at Lucia, she winced as a tear rolled from her eye, her vision still blurry from the slap. Lucia's lips turned up at the corners, seemingly pleased with the effect. The smile was almost sweet, and Eleyn's breath caught at the beauty of her; so comely and yet so cruel - it was as oddly exciting as the gentle touch of Lucia's fingers over her cheek, brushing the tear away.

Wary but sore and tired, Eleyn couldn't hold herself rigid for long. She released herself to relax a tiny bit, relief washing over her at the light caress. She wasn't fooled, however; Lucia was like quicksilver and though this situation was a first, Eleyn knew better than to think she could predict the woman. She was weary, though. Her skin burned where Lucia's nails had scratched her, head throbbing and body aching with a bewildering combination of pain and the unfamiliar rising of desire under Lucia's touch.

Just as Eleyn got her breath back under control, Lucia struck, her hand tangling into her hair, yanking her head back sharply. "Oh, but you _do_ please me," Lucia whispered, her soft smile widening and gaining a razor edge.

Before she could even register the words, Eleyn found herself pinned hard between the post behind her and Lucia's body, the vicious pinch of teeth at her throat. She cried out quietly, torn between the pain of the bite and the sudden shock of pleasure as Lucia pinched her nipple, shifting automatically to accommodate the knee that pushed between her legs. Lucia licked at the mark that Eleyn could already feel swelling on her throat, then pulled back slightly to look at her. What she saw must have pleased her, because she smiled again, releasing Eleyn's hair and sliding her hand slowly down to her jaw.

Eleyn shifted her feet a little, allowing herself to lean against the post and take what support she could from Lucia's thigh between hers. Sighing quietly at the warmth of Lucia's hand now brushing over her breast, Eleyn didn't have a chance to resist when Lucia pushed the fingers of her other hand against her lips. Instead she parted them, hardly aware of what she was doing until she felt the pads of Lucia's fingers against her tongue. Catching Lucia's gaze, she uttered a small, inquisitive sound. Given Lucia's mood and Eleyn's complete inability to gauge her, she wasn't about to risk speaking without permission.

Lucia practically purred, raking her gaze slowly over Eleyn's face. She nodded minutely, and Eleyn had the feeling that it was in approval of her obedience.

"Several reasons," Lucia murmured, ducking her head to nip at Eleyn's collarbone, "but mostly because you hate me." She licked a slow line up Eleyn's throat to her ear, whispering, "And yet you're shivering and writhing under my touch like a whore." Teeth sank into Eleyn's earlobe, and she squirmed, turning her head in an attempt to get away from the pain. A tiny sound of negation slipped from her at the accusation, her face flushing fiercely with shame at it and at her body's response even as she shuddered against the Lady again. Lucia chuckled. "That does please me."

Suddenly pulling her fingers from Eleyn's mouth, Lucia gripped her chin instead, forcing her to look at her. The mock sympathy in Lucia's expression made Eleyn grit her teeth hard, swallowing the desire to tear away. Her pride would take a beating far better than her body would at this point. Lucia watched her struggle with obvious amusement, laughing quietly at her.

"Are you ashamed? Enraged?" She leaned in, biting Eleyn's lip hard enough to elicit a whimper of pain, then murmured against them, "It's a trade every woman gets around to, eventually." Licking quickly at Eleyn's lip as if to soothe away the throbbing from the bite, Lucia stroked her fingertips lightly over her breast and down, to her abdomen. Eleyn exhaled roughly at the caress, struggling against her desire to shift, to press into it for the pleasure that just eluded her. She was not fool enough to not know what was happening to her but the idea that a woman - even one as beautiful as Lucia of Dalhamm - could evoke such things in her had never occurred to her before. Eleyn had the distinct impression that the priests would not approve.

Lucia released Elyn's chin, sliding her palm down to rest across her throat, instead. Eleyn gasped as Lucia's fingers tightened there, fear warring with the strange, heated current that rocked her. She swallowed against the restriction, earning a quick intake of breath from Lucia, "...My Lady?" She watched the Lady carefully, almost afraid to look away, now.

Laughing softly, her free hand stroking soothingly down Eleyn's spine, Lucia said, "You're still better than the ones who claim to love, in the end." Eleyn stiffened, a new blush staining her cheeks (and what she wouldn't give to stop them) as Lucia shifted, her thigh pressing tight against Eleyn's groin and sending a rush of heat through her. Still, Eleyn held her gaze, the beguiling sensations of warmth and pressure and the gentle caressing of her breast sharpened by it. "There's a certain..." Lucia's voice trailed, her head tilting a little as she considered, "_honesty_ to whoring yourself out to live."

Unable to stop herself now - and not much more willing to try - Eleyn arched against Lucia's body and into the light stroke of her hand, the dubious comfort of the pleasure she'd felt before tugging at her. Taking a deep breath as the meaning of Lucia's words sank in, Eleyn shrank back a little. The Lady held her gaze levelly, the corner of her mouth quirking up as she raised an eyebrow.

"Did you really doubt it?" she asked, a note of surprise in her voice, "If you weren't so pretty, I'd have given you to the men, if not the dogs." Eleyn finally dropped her eyes, battling to keep her composure even as Lucia kissed her softly, smashing it to ruin with a slow arching against her body and a brush of knuckles over her nipple.

Shivering raggedly under the Lady's attentions, she worked to breathe again, to find words.

"I-" her voice choked off in her throat, and she had to swallow before she could continue, "How long?"

"Hmm?" Lucia prodded, that unsettling smile on her lips again as she swept her hand down from Eleyn's breast to her stomach, then curling it around her hip. "How long...?" Suddenly the snug warmth of Lucia's thigh left her, and it was all Eleyn could do to keep herself from following, from canting her hips wantonly to get it back. Her back twinged sharply and she rolled back down to her heels to ease the spasm, taking a deep, unsteady breath.

"How long will you keep me here?" Eleyn asked, only just keeping her voice level through her apprehension. Lucia smirked, her hand sliding up over her back, and then rising to brush a strand of hair back from Eleyn's face.

"That depends on how well you behave, doesn't it?" Lucia responded, the catch of bait in her tone,. Eleyn nodded slowly, unsurprised by the answer but reminding herself that it could be worse. "As does where you go, when I'm done with you." Eleyn nearly squeaked with surprise as Lucia took her mouth in a rough kiss, momentary fear ripping through her as she felt her blood pounding in her temples with the tightening of Lucia's hand around her throat. She scrambled to gather herself enough to return the kiss, knowing that there would be unpleasant consequences if she was too slow.

Sighing with relief as Lucia loosened her grip, Eleyn redoubled her efforts, actually beginning to enjoy the kiss. A soft sound of approval rose from Lucia, sending a shiver racing down Eleyn's spine. The light stroke down her side was nice, and her fears began to dissipate in the face of nascent pleasure. Lucia's fingers ghosted over the skin of Eleyn's thigh, then slipped between her legs. An intense wave of pleasure rolled over her as Lucia stroked her there, startling her into jerking back, breaking the kiss and pulling away from the touch.

Lucia's face twisted in anger, her retaliation immediate. Eleyn cried out as fingernails raked viciously down the inside of her thigh, the pain colliding with and blotting out the pleasure that had come before. Another squeeze to her throat, and then Lucia's voice hissed, "Spread your legs girl. _Now_." Panic infusing her and unable to find her voice, Eleyn nodded quickly. Lucia released Eleyn's throat, her lips parting in a way that bordered on obscene as she watched Eleyn's terror before they curled up into a cruel smile.

As quickly as she could, Eleyn shifted her feet apart, hoping that what her bonds would allow would be enough. Lucia nodded minutely, wasting no time in sliding her hand back between Eleyn's legs, fingers rubbing slowly over her. Eleyn let her head drop forward, her face afire with the heat of her blush.

"Much better," Lucia murmured, her touch growing firmer and her motions stronger.

Eleyn bit her lip, a tiny moan escaping her as pleasure swept through her once again. "Forgive me, My Lady," she managed to whisper, the novel sensations robbing her of any desire to think or speak. Lucia hummed a quiet acceptance of her apology, and Eleyn sank an little deeper into her ministrations with a whimper.

"Mm," the Lady said quietly, a knowing edge in her tone, "you like this, don't you?" She emphasised her question with a light pinch to Eleyn's nipple, eliciting a gasp as she leaned in to kiss and nip at her throat. Eleyn's breath caught at the question, her pulse quickening as her pleasure built; she moaned quietly, her hips hitching shamefully against Lucia's hand. She hesitated for a moment, unsure which answer she should give, tilting her head to expose her throat more fully.

"Y-yes."

Lucia licked a slow line up the side of Eleyn's throat to speak in her ear, "Good girl." Then she was kissing her again, and Eleyn sank into it right away with a little sound of pleasure that turned to surprise as Lucia slipped a finger inside her. Better able to control herself this time, Eleyn started, but didn't pull away. The penetration was odd, but neither bad nor painful, and Eleyn's hips soon began to move in a rhythmic motion that she couldn't quite stop. She gave up trying when Lucia's growl of approval reached her, grateful for a reason to release herself to it.

Dimly, she felt Lucia's movement as she drew closer, thankful for the warm press of Lucia's body against hers. It took Eleyn a long moment to figure out what she was doing, but when Lucia began to rock against her, her response was nearly instinctive. She shifted a little to change the position of her leg, pressing it more firmly against Lucia, something in her deeply gratified when the Lady's motions grew stronger. Rewarded with a gasp and a slow thrusting of Lucia's fingers into her, Eleyn moaned quietly. Her body writhed with the sudden, intense need to bring her arms down and she whimpered a plea as Lucia's mouth covered hers once more.

Eleyn deepened the kiss on her own this time, sighing with gratitude when she felt Lucia's hand near her own, tugging at her binding. Lucia pulled the rope from her, and Eleyn let her arms drop slowly with a deep groan of mingled pain and relief. The blood still ran hot in her cheeks with the shame of such wantonness in the face of her anger and hatred, reinforced by the fact that her hand clutched at Lucia's shoulder, rather than pushing her away. Taken by instinct and an overwhelming desire to please, Eleyn sucked and nipped at Lucia's lips when she could, returning her kisses hungrily. She unconsciously canted her hips forward, rocking against Lucia with near abandon, her sounds of pleasure only growing louder when Lucia's hand stole up to grip her throat again.

Lucia broke the kiss with a low, satisfied growl, her fingers tightening as she asked, "Have you ever had a man in you, girl?" The fire of lust in her eyes captivated Eleyn, and for a second she couldn't make sense of the question.

"No, My Lady, never," she said, and panic clawed at her again as she envisioned Lucia calling one of the guards in.

Lucia's lips curved up with an evident satisfaction that tinged her voice as well. "As I thought." She kissed Eleyn briefly, then pulled back with an expression that tightened Eleyn's stomach. The previous fear was beginning to dissipate in the face of Lucia's reaction to Eleyn's answer, but there was a keen edge to her now that called for wariness. The Lady pulled her hand from between Eleyn's legs, and she was ashamed to hear the moue of protest that slipped from her at the loss. Bringing her fingers up to Eleyn's lips with a thin smile, "Taste yourself," Lucia purred, and Eleyn's breath stopped short.

"My Lady?"

The nails of Lucia's other hand slid, stuttering, across Eleyn's chest, red welts rising in their wake. Crying out, Eleyn reached up to grab Lucia's wrist, thankfully stopping herself before she actually tugged the hand away. She gripped it tightly, fighting against the urge to shove Lucia from her, reminding herself harshly that she had no choice, here. There was no one to help her, and the Lady really could do as she pleased with Eleyn; the law had no hold in this room. Loosening her fingers around Lucia's wrist, Eleyn leaned forward. Closing her eyes in an effort to dull the embarrassment, Eleyn darted her tongue out to lick Lucia's fingers from base to tip, then just as quickly retreated.

A low snarl tore from Lucia as her hand shot up from Eleyn's chest to her hair, yanking hard. "Open your mouth," she hissed, barely waiting for Eleyn to part her lips before shoving her fingers roughly inside. "Not _that_ obedient, are you?"

Eleyn stumbled a little, grabbing Lucia's arm again, this time for support. She made a quiet inquisitive noise, uncertain what she was supposed to do, terrified of making a wrong choice. Lucia chuckled, tugging Eleyn's head to the side and leaning in to bite viciously at her neck.

"Lick them clean, girl."

Eleyn whimpered miserably, ruthlessly shoving away the desire to bite down. That might just be enough to provoke Lucia into fulfilling her threat to give Eleyn to the men - and there was less than no doubt in Eleyn's mind that she _would_ do it. Drawing a shaky breath, Eleyn closed her lips around Lucia's fingers, sucking gently at them. She watched Lucia from the corner of her eye; the expression on her face, the way her eyes fluttered shut and her soft appreciative sigh kindled in Eleyn's belly, and she crushed her reservations. Eleyn sucked and licked at Lucia's fingers in long, slow swipes, gratified by the Lady's reactions, spurred on by them.

After a moment, Lucia pulled her fingers from between Eleyn's lips, her patently regretful look very satisfying. "You had best get over that reluctance soon," Lucia said evenly, "It won't be you on my fingers the next time you do that." Eleyn flushed to the roots of her hair, but her embarrassment warred with an equally strong wave of desire at the implication.

Dropping her gaze demurely, Eleyn merely replied, "Yes, My Lady," and left it at that.

"Good," the Lady said, glancing around. One hand stroked idly down Eleyn's side, calming in its rhythm. Apparently coming to a decision, Lucia nodded. Her hand dropped to Eleyns hip as she spoke, "Kneel on the bed and wait." She fixed Eleyn with a warning look, her nails digging into Eleyn's skin, making her hiss. "I assume you know better than to resist." Keeping her gaze on the floor, Eleyn nodded mutely, torn between apprehension and the persistent arousal that now coiled shamefully within her.

Lucia smirked at her, pressing her nails in one more time before she turned, walking toward the wardrobe. Pausing to look over her shoulder, she snapped, "Are you waiting for something, girl?"

Eleyn glanced up at her, shaking her head, "No." She turned under Lucia's stare, rounding the corner of the bed and climbing up onto it. Eleyn very nearly smiled as she felt the softness of the Lady's bed. She would never have dreamed that such luxury existed, sleeping on her hard pallet at home, or even on the slightly better one they'd brought into Edda's room for her. Settling back on her heels, Eleyn placed her hands on her thighs and watched Lucia, waiting.

The Lady removed her cote, slipping it over her head with the ease of long practice. Her long blond hair spilled down over her back again as it fell from the dress, brushing Lucia's hips. Eleyn wondered absently how that hair felt as Lucia rummaged in the cupboard. Then she turned, and Eleyn forgot to drop her eyes, watching Lucia walk to the bed, something that Eleyn didn't recognize in her hand. Curiosity getting the better of discretion, she leaned forward slightly, narrowing her eyes in the low light. A quiet gasp escaped her as she figured out what the object was, blood rushing to her cheeks. Biting back a mild curse, Eleyn swore to herself that she _would_ learn to control that. It wasn't as though she was completely stupid, after all; she shouldn't be so easily overwhelmed. She risked a glance up at Lucia as she approached, expecting instructions.

Lucia smirked down at her again, tilting her head. "Surprised?" she asked, amusement threaded through the word. Climbing up onto the bed, Lucia put the wooden phallus down within reach, then shifted in behind Eleyn. "On your hands and knees. Quickly now, girl," Lucia commanded, though her voice was relatively gentle.

Eleyn watched her for as long as she could, then turned to look at the object Lucia had brought to the bed. It was..._large._ Something in Eleyn shrank from that, while something else quickened. For all that she _wasn't_ a complete fool, there were things that Eleyn didn't know, and they were beginning to make themselves felt. She started at the sound of Lucia's voice, but she was already moving before she could think of the humiliation of it. That set in quickly enough as she leaned forward onto her hands and adjusted her legs beneath her, leaving herself utterly exposed to the gaze and the touch of the woman behind her. Eleyn let her head drop, her fingers curling into the bedcover, struggling to keep her breathing steady.

Warm fingers slid slowly down the back of Eleyn's thigh, almost soothing. She heard Lucia shifting, felt the movement of it, but she dared not look back, even if she could have done so without the shame overwhelming her. From the corner of her eye she saw Lucia's pale hand reach for the phallus, and she licked her lips, concentrating on her breath in order to keep herself still. Lucia moved a little closer to her, their legs brushing gently against each other as she settled again.

Lucia pressed the tip of the phallus against Eleyn, poised to enter her, but went no further. Eleyn swallowed hard, her heart tripping in her chest, already feeling the stretch that gave a frustratingly small hint of what was to come. A low, tormented whimper crawled up through her throat as she waited, caught between the fear of what would happen when the phallus entered her and aroused anticipation of it. Her arms began to tremble as Lucia remained still; moaning miserably, Eleyn gave in, swaying back against it a little.

A low hum of approval rose behind her, then Lucia's hand was on her hip, holding her tightly. Eleyn bit down hard on her lip to muffle her cry as Lucia pushed the phallus into her roughly, the stinging burn of it stealing her breath and trailing her voice to silence. "Good..." Lucia purred, tugging her back to meet the uncompromising thrust, and through panting breath and the slowly receding pain, Eleyn was grateful for the thin praise.

Then Lucia's hand on her hip was gone, and Eleyn battled a sudden desire to get up, to run away from the intrusion that filled her so completely. Hands clenched into fists, Eleyn told herself desperately that it wasn't nearly as bad as she had imagined it would be, that if she made a wrong move now she would surely be in for far, far worse. After a long moment it began to work, her will slowly overcoming her shame and fear until she felt she could breathe again.

A soft moan from Lucia sent a shiver racing through Eleyn, and she was rocking back against the phallus before she could stop herself. Lucia chuckled quietly and pulled it from her a little, and a rough moan escaped her as she thrust it back in. There was pleasure lurking beneath the increasingly inconsequential pain, and Eleyn clung to it, using it to ease her humiliation at being used this way, at the knowledge that Lucia was watching her so very intimately. She heard the faint noises of Lucia's own movements, the sound of skin on slick skin, and a tremor rocked her as she understood what the Lady was doing.

Slowly, Lucia built a rhythm, Eleyn rocking back into it more enthusiastically with every thrust. Spurred by the image of Lucia touching herself as she had touched Eleyn before, she released herself to it, banishing her shame to another time. The room filled with their mingled breath and moans, harsher and more insistent with every passing moment.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Lucia purred, and Eleyn could hear the increase in her movements, the pleasure in her voice as she spoke. Eleyn's breath caught as she wondered if Lucia would slip those same fingers into herself, and she groaned helplessly at the thought.

Forgetting that Lucia couldn't see it well, Eleyn nodded minutely, her voice shaking and strange to her own ears as she replied, "But, it hurt." Her breath was close to panting now, her body following an instinctive imperative, rocking harder against Lucia's motions. She dropped to her elbows, her breasts swinging lightly against the bedcover, teasing her nipples and heightening her pleasure as she moved. Lucia's rising moans finally broke her resolve and she moved to look back over her shoulder.

Head back, Lucia was watching Eleyn from beneath her lashes, her hand moving provocatively beneath her chemise. The corner of her mouth pulled up as Eleyn moaned raggedly, a breathless chuckle passing through parted her lips as she picked up her pace, fucking Eleyn harder. Eleyn turned back for a moment, pressing her forehead to the bed, just revelling in the pleasure that radiated through her, breathing encouragements against the covers.

Listening, Eleyn heard Lucia's sounds of pleasure rise, growing less controlled. Quickly she turned again, greedily taking in the sight of the Lady behind her, her face a mask of ecstasy as she pushed herself toward climax. It was intoxicating, lacing Eleyn's own pleasure with a keen edge to watch as Lucia began to lose control, her breath coming in gasps, her eyes closing above cheeks coloured by desire.

Eleyn moaned with Lucia as she kneeled up, her fingers moving frantically to push herself over the edge. Lucia's jaw fell open, her eyelids fluttering in the uneven light, her back arching to press her breasts tight against her chemise. A shock of pure lust rushed Eleyn at the sight, rocking her body as Lucia cried out once, then fell to silence as she rode the wave of her climax. Biting her lip hard, Eleyn took it all in, the movements, the pleasure, the small whimpering moans as Lucia returned to herself with gradually slowing undulations of her body.

Lucia settled back to her heels, her eyes opening, focusing on Eleyn with a smirk. "Did you have fun watching?" she asked, her tone carrying a mocking edge. Confronted with the fact, Eleyn flushed with shame, turning away quickly. Lucia's thrusts stopped immediately as she demanded, "_Answer me_."

Wincing at the command, Eleyn sucked in a deep breath, working up the courage to follow it. Her hands shook with the force of her clenching them as she whispered, "Yes, My Lady." Humiliation and guilt battled need for dominance in Eleyn's mind, part of her wanting to run, _now_, and pretend this had never happened, the other part screaming for some kind of release. Her legs trembled with the all-too-quickly fading pleasure of a few moments before, her entire body aching for completion.

"Oh, good," Lucia said, truly evil edge in her voice. Without warning she pulled the phallus from Eleyn's body, making her gasp at the sudden loss. Just as quickly, her hand tangled in Eleyn's hair, dragging her roughly upright. Eleyn cried out at the stinging in her scalp, her hands rising to grip Lucia's wrist tightly. Chuckling low in her throat, Lucia slid wet fingers over Eleyn's lips. "I suppose that's all for now, then," she murmured as Eleyn twisted her head away, her eyes squeezing shut.

Eleyn whimpered pathetically as Lucia bit down hard on her neck, nearly mindless with shame and pain and _want_. Lucia released her precipitously, dropping all contact between them in one swift motion and shifting a little away. Eleyn curled in on herself as she was released, a near-whine escaping her. Her teeth ground together, her body sore and empty and needing so much; the sudden force of her hatred overwhelmed her for a second, and she clawed at reason to keep her still. _One day_...but for now she was trapped and wretched, and she had no choice but to stay that way.

Reaching out to stroke her back lightly, Lucia murmured, "Mm, very good, girl. Now get off the bed. I want to sleep." Watching Eleyn rise, she added, "Oh, and if you decide to finish yourself off, do wake me up. I'd _love_ to watch."


	4. Part 4

**Disclaimer: **This fanwork is based on characters and situations created and owned by Minekura Kazuya. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. No profit made.

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Lucia tilted her head back a little, deftly tugging apart the knot the girl had tied her hair into that morning, sighing contentedly as she shook it out. The water was deliciously warm, stealing away the tension in her back and shoulders. She sank a little deeper into the tub, watching her hair trail sinuously in the water around her. Ran her fingers idly through the strands, pleased with how smoothly they untangled. Eleyn's gaze on her was a palpable weight - she smiled lazily as she stretched out her hand, crooking her fingers. "Washcloth," she commanded, and was obeyed with alacrity. Her smile widened. The girl had learned over the past month, it seemed; enough to be conversant with the rituals of bathing, at least, which the mud-grubbers on her estate probably thought was blasphemy. Well, too bad for them - or possibly not, since they'd never know the pleasures of a hot bath anyway.

She had, however, learned enough to be rewarded with a chance for one of her own, at any rate.

"Wait..." Lucia said, curling her fingers to summon Eleyn into the tub. "I think I'd prefer if you washed me, instead."

The girl hesitated, visibly nervous, her eyes dropping deferentially. Lucia nearly snorted; that trick was one she'd seen through, but she seemed to think it still worked, and the illusion was charming enough that she didn't feel the need to dispel it. "My Lady need not share her bath - I can do well enough from here."

Lucia raised her eyebrow. " I'll not get clean washed by hands caked in filth. Get in here, girl." The girl hesitated, and she lowered her voice, turning it from demand to order. "_Now_."

She watched with some amusement as Eleyn's jaw tightened with fury, the slow process of calming herself taking less effort this time. Her little struggles with herself never failed to entertain, although they had been growing short of late.

"Yes, My Lady," she murmured as she stepped into the tub, sinking into the water, looking surprisingly calm despite the prospect of hot water. Lucia reached out to her, tangling her fingers in her hair and pulling her close to kiss her slowly for a moment. Eleyn submitted to the kiss, but remained reserved, almost passive. Dissatisfied, she pushed away from her, leaning back against the wall. Hot water ran off her leg as she lifted it from the water, placing it on Eleyn's shoulder.

"Get to work," she snapped.

Eleyn held out her hand. "The washcloth, my lady, or shall I get another?" Impotent anger roiled beneath her even tone, lurked in the tension of her hand.

Lucia tossed her the washcloth, enjoying the way she flinched and dropped her gaze to hide her anger. She closed her eyes as Eleyn reached for the soap. Tilting her head back against the wall, she tracked the sound of the cake against the cloth, the soft thud as she returned it to the shelf.

The hands that rubbed the cloth gently over her foot and ankle were a little too quick as they scraped away the oil on her skin, along with several days' accumulated dirt. Lucia frowned a little, and Eleyn must have seen it; her movements slowed, becoming gentler.

Lucia relaxed into the touch, making a quiet approving sound, turning her leg a little to let Eleyn reach the sides better, letting her toe dig into her neck, almost - but not quite - casually enough to be accidental. Tell me, does it frighten you, bathing like this?"

Through her half-closed eyelids, she could see the way the girl's jaw clenched momentarily with irritation as she stroked slow lines up Lucia's leg, trailing lightly over the sides of her knee. "If you mean do I think I'll get a fever and die from it, no. I've never had any sickness from bathing."

Lucia laughed softly, approvingly. "Oh, very good, girl. You've quite the spine, haven't you." She slid a hand through her hair, shaking it out a little as she watched Eleyn wash her leg. The blush rising in her cheeks even at this meagre compliment, the way her eyes lingered on Lucia's hands, provoked a slow smile from her. "You can't have been too well-acquainted with it before you came here."

Eleyn dropped her gaze again. "No, my lady. The priests tell us that bathing is dangerous." She flicked her gaze up at Lucia again "...and sinful, if you do it too much. Decadent, they say."

Lucia snorted a laugh, genuinely amused by that theory. She'd had nanny, nurse, mother and husband chide her about that since her girlhood, and yet...sin seemed such a _distant _(and rather spurious) concept, while body odour was an all too unfortunate reality. She wrinkled her nose. "Those priests. Their souls are so thin a washcloth _could_ scrape them away. And did you believe them?"

Eleyn slipped her hands under the water, stroking Lucia's thigh. Her touch was gentle, almost teasingly so; Lucia sighed, a soft moan falling from her parted lips as the cloth slid smoothly against her skin. Looking up, she saw confusion and tentative desire in Eleyn's eyes, heard her tiny gasp as she saw Lucia's response to the touch.

She shook her head as she murmured, "At first I did, but..."

Eleyn traded hands with the cloth, running it up the length of Lucia's thigh, then back up the inside of it. Lucia let her head fall back, parting her legs a little as Eleyn's touch moved tantalisingly close to her womanhood, sighing softly. Smirked at the way her lips pursed even as her breath caught in unwilling arousal. "And then?" she purred, her voice tinged with lust.

Disappointingly, the girl didn't take the hint; she lifted Lucia's leg instead, ducking under it and putting it down on the other side of herself. Eleyn reached for her other ankle, lifting it to her shoulder, her acceptance of the openly dominant gesture gratifying. Lucia shifted her leg a little in response, placing the arch of her foot on the juncture of Eleyn's neck and shoulder and rubbing the side of her neck.

"Then I got thinking," Eleyn said haltingly, "I wanted to know why they said it was so bad; it didn't seem right, somehow. So...I started bathing in the river." She shrugged a little as she reached up for Lucia's foot with the cloth; her voice held a subdued edge of rebellion as she spoke. "I never got sick, and I..."

Lucia let her leg fall a little further to the side as she listened, her eyes half-closed. "Well? What then?" she asked, mildly curious now. She slid her hand down her body as she waited

Eleyn watched her from beneath her lashes, growing a little more bold with the encouragement to continue. Her hands on Lucia's leg remained careful, but gaining confidence as Lucia sighed and purred under her ministrations. "I liked it. It never made me sick, and..." She took a slow breath, sliding her hands over Lucia's knee, before finishing in a rush, even softer than before, the tone of a confession. "I can't see how it's vain to want to scrape the dirt off sometimes."

Lucia nodded slowly as Eleyn continued speaking, straightening her leg a little to let her clean behind her knee, humming in pleasure as the cloth slid over the sensitive skin there, stoking the low thrum of lust beginning to coil in her belly. "It isn't vain, it's... _necessary_." She crinkled her nose. "I can barely stand to be around the soldiers sometimes; they're rank." She studied the girl for a long moment before she gave her an approving nod. There was just enough spirit in this one to intrigue, without being enough to be dangerous. "And no one ever found out?" she asked sceptically. A clean face was hardly unnoticeable, after all.

Eleyn blushed again, keeping her eyes on the water. "Of course they did," she murmured, sliding her hands up Lucia's thigh; the washcloth's edges trailed loosely against her skin under the water, sending almost ticklish shivers through her.

Lucia licked her lips slowly, watching with some satisfaction as Eleyn's eyes followed her hands, enjoying the way she bit her lip in hesitation. "Well, go on, girl," she said impatiently. "Don't make me pull every word out of you."

The girl swallowed and nodded, changing hands with the cloth again, stroking up the inside of Lucia's thigh - teasingly close to her groin - sending a delicious tingle through her. She parted her legs a little further in response, moaning almost soundlessly as she arched slightly in subtle invitation. Eleyn's hand wandered a little closer before she pulled away, losing her nerve. Her voice was quiet when she continued, the words slower, a little distracted. "My mother beat me for being sinful and headstrong. I...got more careful after that, but it's hard to sneak away. I never could get to the river more than a few times in the summer. In winter it's all frozen up and too cold anyway."

"I see," Lucia murmured. "Very courageous of you, all said and done." She slid her leg from Eleyn's shoulder, dropping it next to her with a small splash. Bringing it around to tuck it under herself, she moved to her knees in one fluid motion. It placed her much closer to Eleyn, close enough to smell the pleasingly _clean _scent of her, to see the way her breath caught at Lucia's proximity. Lucia flicked her hair over one shoulder as she turned around, smiling when she was sure Eleyn couldn't see it, murmuring "My back, now."

Eleyn reached up to brush aside a few wet locks that stuck to the nape of Lucia's neck, shifting a little to get directly behind her. Lucia could hear the soft splash as she dipped the cloth in the water and then brought it up, holding it just above Lucia's back. She hissed with pleasure at the warmth of the water against her skin as the girl wrung it out, letting the water trace warm trails over her skin, the sound of it loud in the silence of the room. The pressure of the warm wet cloth on her neck was good enough to make her eyes flutter closed as Eleyn stroked slowly out toward her shoulder, leaving tiny tingles of sensation in her wake. As sure as she was that that wasn't the girl's intention, the touch was waking her lust. She twisted her hair, tipping her head forward a little, tucking it out of Eleyn's way as she ran a hand idly down her own thigh, enjoying the feel of smooth clean skin, not yet wrinkled from the water.

"Your family doesn't seem to have been terribly understanding on the whole," she murmured.

Eleyn swiped the cloth down under the waterline, along Lucia's side, to her hip. "Why should they be? I'm just a willful girl." She brought the cloth back up to repeat her actions on the other side, a slow, pleasurable caress that tugged a small, satisfied sound from Lucia. "A burden, really."

Lucia snorted softly at Eleyn's words, raising her arms slightly to let her get at her side better. "All women are, girl. Or so they say, and most of the fools believe it." She considered for a moment, letting herself enjoy the pleasure of the cleaning. It had been entirely too long since she'd trusted one of her pets to be alone with her, and she was damned if she'd bathe under the leering eyes of her guards and maids as some other ladies did. "What you are is....useful, perhaps."

She could almost feel the frown on her neck as Eleyn thought about that, the cloth slowing a little as she slid it in long swipes down the centre of Lucia's back, smoothing the tension from her spine one slow stroke at a time, making her want to arch into the touch like a cat. "I guess I would rather be that." She lifted her hand and reached automatically for Lucia's shoulder, running the cloth down over her upper arm.

Lucia purred quietly as she stroked down her arm, turning it slightly to let Eleyn reach the sensitive skin of her inner forearm more easily. She smiled slowly at her reply, pleasantly surprised by it. "A pragmatic decision. Or is it simply that you know what i_not/i_ being useful would imply?"

Eleyn took the cloth, then slid the now free one lightly along Lucia's arm to her wrist to hold her arm up as she washed the underside of it gently. Lucia let her wrist lie loose in her hand, savouring the slow, steady strokes of the cloth. "I'd sooner be a mule, than wife to most any man I've known." She switched hands again, moving to Lucia's other arm.

Lucia laughed softly, pleased with her reply. "Mature, for such a young one," she commented, smiling a little.

"All I really wanted was a husband who didn't make me ill," she murmured. "The rest….you can make it through most anything, if you've not been tied to a man no better than the pigs he slops." She stroked up her arm from her wrist, over her shoulder, and Lucia shivered as the cloth traveled across her chest lightly, the touch all the more effective for its gentleness. She hummed quietly, leaning into the touch, amused by the naiveté of the statement. If there was one thing she'd proved to herself time and again, it was that men were usually about two meals and a limp yard from barbarism, and a little less than that from cruelty.

"That's an ambitious dream, child," she murmured as she shifted away from her hand, turning to face her, tilting Eleyn's chin up. "There isn't a man out there who's better than those pigs. Not when he thinks he can get away with it." She sighed, letting go of her chin, dropping her hands as she shifted closer, parting her legs a little more until her knees were on the outside of Eleyn's thighs. The smoothness of her skin was pleasing, and Lucia let the urge to press against it build, enjoying the tension. "Go on, then."

Eleyn looked up at her, hesitating; Lucia waited for her to speak, but she didn't, swiping the cloth slowly over her breasts instead. Lucia closed her eyes, sighing in pleasure at the warmth of the water trickling over her, the pressure of the cloth against her skin. Her lips curved up as she felt the way Eleyn leaned into her instinctively, the quick catch of her breath at Lucia's soft sound of pleasure, the tiny shiver running through her as she inhaled shakily. She slid her hand through the girl's hair, brushing it back from her face as she smiled slowly at her. "Not all that unpleasant, is it?" she asked softly.

Eleyn closed her eyes, biting down on her lip, her cheeks reddening a little, and Lucia's smile grew as she shook her head, watching the way a slightly damp lock clung to her neck. "No, my lady," she whispered, her voice thrumming with rising desire.

Lucia stroked a finger down her cheekbone, making a quiet sound of approval. Her breath caught as Eleyn's hand slid under her breasts, stroking the sensitive flesh beneath her nipples. She arched into the touch, her eyes slipping half-closed at Eleyn's soft gasp. "Mm. Good," she breathed.

Eleyn turned her head a little, brushing her cheek almost imperceptibly against the soft skin of Lucia's breast - a seemingly instinctive response. Lucia purred quietly as Eleyn's hand moved down to her stomach, sighing at the delicate touch of her cheek. Her skin tingled pleasantly where warm breath slipped over wet, cooling skin. She curled her fingers just a little in Eleyn's hair, guiding and encouraging her, inching closer until she was almost in her lap. Eleyn was warm and soft under her hands, a faint sheen of sweat covering her skin where the water didn't. The scent of the oils Lucia used clung to the girl, as if she'd touched herself after anointing Lucia with them. She chuckled at the idea as Eleyn wrapped an arm around her waist. Pleased by the gesture, Lucia rewarded her initiative by not finding fault with her for not asking permission, first.

Eleyn pressed closer, laying light kisses in a line over Lucia's breast. Arching toward her mouth, Lucia let her head fall back a little at the delicious feeling of Eleyn's tongue flicking out over her nipple before warm lips closed around it, sucking gently. The water lapped softly around them as Eleyn trembled. "Good, just like that..." her words trailed off into a moan, the girl's mouth sending a wave of lust through her body. She reached into the water for Eleyn's other hand, guiding it between her legs. "Let's finish this right, shall we?" she purred.


	5. Part 5

**Disclaimer: **This fanwork is based on characters and situations created and owned by Minekura Kazuya. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. No profit made.

_**Warning:**_**This part contains graphic depiction of non-consensual sexual activity and should be considered to be a trauma trigger.

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**

It was getting late. Eleyn yawned as she glanced at the candles on the table beside the bed. It had been hours since Lady Lucia had left and Eleyn figured she had best get herself moving; everything was nearly in readiness, but nearly wasn't entirely, and Eleyn had become well-acquainted with the consequences of Lucia's displeasure. Still, time had been equally kind as cruel, and she had also learned many tricks for soothing that displeasure, if she couldn't avoid it altogether.

She stood, stretching, and picked up the little pot of water from the floor, putting it on the hook in the fireplace and then turned, heading for the chamber she still shared with Edda. Pulling her simple cote over her head, Eleyn smoothed her shift down before folding the dress neatly and laying it atop the small trunk she had been given for the few pieces of clothing she was allowed. Plain though the dresses were, the fabrics were still far more rich than anything that Eleyn had ever worn before. Small blessings, as the priests would have it.

Pausing on her way back to, she checked her appearance in the burnished metal 'mirror' that hung beside the door between the rooms. It was warped and cloudy, but after a while, one got used to such things. Besides, she would hate to find out what the Lady's reaction would be, to catching Eleyn using Lucia's vanity mirror instead. Eleyn passed her hands quickly over her hair, smoothing it down a bit before she stepped over the threshold. The Lady was particular about the presentation of those she kept close around her.

Eleyn turned down the cover on Lucia's bed, tugging the larger wrinkles out of the sheet. She assessed the effect with a critical eye and then stepped back, turning back toward the fireplace. Glancing up toward the door, she jumped, barely clamping down on her shout of surprise when she saw Lucia standing there. The woman had a natural talent for all things underhanded and sneaky; this wasn't the first time Eleyn had been caught by it.

"Oh! My Lady..." Eleyn breathed, pressing her hand to her chest in an effort to slow her racing heart, "...good evening." She inclined her head in a bare bow, still shaking a little from the shock. "Forgive me, I - you startled me." Her voice grew a little louder and more steady with each word as she regained her composure.

"Good evening," Lucia replied with a tight nod, and Eleyn frowned at the sound of it. There was something strange, but Lucia wasn't generally one to hold her ire close. Lucia favoured her with a slow smile, the oddness of a moment before evaporating with it as she moved across the floor. Eleyn began to wonder if she'd seen it at all, when Lucia's fingers stroked gently down her cheek.

"Undress me," the Lady murmured softly, "_now_." There it was again, that faint discrepancy between Lucia's actions and her voice that set Eleyn's nerves on edge. Still, there was nothing that she could do without something against which to act. How could she soothe a temper that she couldn't see? She took a breath, but thought better of speaking, simply nodding and reaching for the laces at the side of Lucia's dress. The Lady raised her arms, letting her eyes slide shut as Eleyn moved around her.

Suddenly, Lucia tore her scarf from her head; Eleyn grimaced inwardly as she watched her toss it carelessly to the floor. Careful to keep her expression blank, she thought back. It was obvious that something was agitating Lucia, but try as she might, Eleyn couldn't think of a thing that she could have done to provoke it. Finishing with the laces, she crouched to take the hem of Lucia's dress in her hands, gathering it in her fingers as she rose again. If she just worked quickly and quietly, she might escape this odd mood unscathed.

An impatient sigh startled Eleyn, and she instantly responded by moving a little faster to lift Lucia's cote from her, pulling it over her head. She didn't bother folding it at all, just stepping quickly to the bed and laying it at the end. It was something she did often, not likely to annoy the Lady, so long as she took care of storing it properly at the end of the night. Picking up the nightdress she had laid out earlier, Eleyn returned to Lucia, bending to remove her chemise, as she had the dress. Firm but relatively gentle fingers combed into her hair, and Eleyn allowed herself to relax a tiny bit; perhaps the Lady truly wasn't angry with _her_.

It was a hard thought to accept, given her experience, and so Eleyn refused to believe it all at once. No, she would remain careful, keep her movements quick, and be silent, unless Lucia spoke to her directly and in a way that required an answer. The tapping of Lucia's slippered foot on the floor told her she was making the wise decision.

Standing, Eleyn lifted the thin fabric of the chemise over Lucia's raised arms, then draped it in the crook of her elbow as she readied the nightdress. Lucia slipped her arms into it, then dropped it over her head, turning away before the fabric had finished falling around her. "Well?" she almost snapped, not bothering to look at Eleyn, "Get moving." With a silent nod that the Lady couldn't see, Eleyn dropped the chemise to the bed atop the dress and then followed her quickly to the vanity.

Before she even stopped walking, Eleyn was reaching for Lucia's hair, deftly pulling the pins that held it in place. She had been surprised to find that she had something of a natural talent for that, never having bothered with more than braids to keep her own hair from her face while she worked. Her fingers were nimble, quickly and gently untwisting and smoothing the locks as she released the plaits. Risking a quick glance at Lucia's reflection in the mirror, Eleyn noted the way she closed her eyes, her jaw tightening as she took a deep breath. There was definitely not a lot of room for error there and, thinking it best, Eleyn looked back to her task before Lucia could catch her watching.

A soft rustling sound rose from beneath the vanity as Lucia tapped her foot against the reeds scatted there. After a while she said, "I received a rather interesting request, today."

Not looking up again, Eleyn concentrated on her task, knowing that this part of things tended to bait Lucia's patience at the best of times. Rubbing as Lucia's scalp in an effort to soothe her somewhat, Eleyn replied distractedly, "Yes, My Lady?"

Intent on pulling the last of the twists from her hair, Eleyn didn't see the frown that twisted Lucia's face at her vague response before she abruptly stood, shrugging off Eleyn's hand. She blinked at Lucia in surprise, completely confused by the sudden movement, not registering the next until it was too late. Crying out, Eleyn reached up automatically for Lucia's wrist, desperate to tear away the hand that twisted viciously in her hair, yanking her head back painfully. It ceased to matter, though, as Lucia's other hand curled tightly around Eleyn's throat, cutting off her air. The sound of her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears, the panic the clawed at her mind nearly overtaking Lucia's next words.

"Your hand in marriage, as it turns out," she spat, increasing her grip painfully for a second. Eleyn, unable to draw air enough to speak, could only stare at her in a mute mixture of confusion, fear, and pleading. She could have sworn that Lucia's lips curled up minutely before twisting into a sneer. "Aldyn of Wortham," the Lady continued, loosening her grip.

Eleyn gasped a deep, desperate breath, her eyes widening as Lucia's words sank in. _Aldyn_. He must have heard that she had been captured, and come to try to have her released, the idiot. For all that he was better than most, Aldyn was noble to the point of stupidity; Eleyn knew without doubt that coming to Dalhamm had secured him no more than a beating, at best. Surely, it had ensured Eleyn a world of unpleasantness. Her mind scrambled frantically for something to say, some way to save herself, but her thoughts scattered as Lucia's nails tore into the flesh of her neck.

"He seemed... _certain_ of your agreement," Lucia hissed, and terror gripped Eleyn's stomach; she had never seen her so furious. "You _whore_." The sudden explosion of pain in her left cheek wasn't even a surprise, though Eleyn nearly stumbled with the force of it, Lucia's hand still fisted in her hair, holding her. She clenched her teeth against the sting in her scalp and the throbbing around her eye, choking back a half-sob as she cast around for an answer to the strange accusation. She couldn't think, however, beyond simple protest.

"My Lady, please!" Eleyn whimpered, hauling in a ragged breath, "I don't understand!" She tried to force her eyes open, but the left one was watering, still, and they just squeezed shut again.

"You don't-" Lucia started, her voice low through obviously clenched teeth, then shook Eleyn hard before shoving her away with a sound of disgust. "_Don't_ you, now," she snarled as Eleyn stumbled away from her.

Barely managing to catch herself in time to avoid falling to the floor, Eleyn shook her head as she straightened in an attempt to clear it well enough for some semblance of thought. Finally able to open her eyes, she looked at Lucia, ignoring the wet warmth of the tear that rolled from the corner of her eye. Her vision was still blurry, her cheek burning with the remaining sting from Lucia's slap; Eleyn knew that she should take care to behave herself right now, but a slow rage was building within her, twining through her fear and pain with a sharp edge. The best she could do was to keep still, holding Lucia's gaze with ferocity and unmasked hatred.

"I do _not_."

Lucia's hands curled into fists at her sides as Eleyn spoke, her eyes narrowing at what she saw. Stalking toward Eleyn, she ground out, "He seemed suspiciously aware of the _details_ of your duties." Lightning quick, Lucia slammed the heel of her palm into Eleyn's chest, reaching out to yank viciously on her arm at the same time. Though she was prepared for an attack, Eleyn found herself unable to deal with both movements at once, pulled off-balance and fighting to keep her feet. Pure fury met Eleyn's gaze as Lucia pinned her hard against the wall, one hand shoving hard against the still-sensitive skin of her chest. At least the cuts had finally healed, no longer splitting open under pressure. "You're clearly less than aware of your place, _girl_." The threat of instruction rode clearly beneath the words.

Eleyn shook her head, finally able to think clearly enough to see the flaw in Lucia's statements. She hadn't seen or spoken to Aldyn since her petition to marry him had been denied. He may have figured out that Eleyn was being held here, but there was no possible way for him to know anything more. Even if she _had_ seen him, Eleyn would sooner slit her own throat than to admit to what she had become, here in Lucia's chambers - and in her bed. The Lady was playing games, now, looking for a slip from Eleyn, a flustered confession to justify her anger. The surety of Lucia's deception washed over her, shoring up her strength as she whispered, "You're lying."

Lucia stared at her silently for a long moment, her eyes narrowing further as her lip pulled back in a snarl, "Oh, if I suspected you of plotting, you would be dying now," she breathed. Eleyn accepted the cover mutely - she had heard the twisted admission in Lucia's reply, and there was a vast difference between holding your ground and rushing headlong from a cliff. "Of course," Lucia purred, and Eleyn barely had time to register the threat before her breath was driven from her by the fist Lucia stabbed into her stomach, "that's no excuse for insolence."

Eleyn curled over, coughing roughly as her breath tore from her in a sudden rush. Pain knifed through her, sharpened by the way Lucia ground her knuckles into Eleyn's stomach. Before she could gather her wits, Lucia was pressed bodily against her, pinning her hard to the wall, making her wince with the bolt of agony that shot through her as she was forced upright. Gasping for breath, Eleyn had no strength to fight the iron grip on her wrist, the quick twisting of her arm above her head that pulled a small cry from her as her shoulder twinged.

Hissing, Eleyn whipped her head to the side, tearing away from the unexpected, vicious bite to her lip, feeling the skin ripping under Lucia's teeth. Her heart was beating like a wild thing in her chest, loud and fast, imprisoning her breath in its pace. "What have you done to him?" Eleyn panted, the last thought she would spare for Aldyn, needing to know that she hadn't cost him more than his foolishness deserved.

"So worried about _him_," Lucia snarled, her hand tightening on Eleyn's wrist, tugging it through that painfully awkward angle again. Grinding her teeth together against the pain, Eleyn watched Lucia's face twist with rage before she leaned in, laying a stinging bite on the flesh just below Eleyn's ear. She almost screamed at the pain, just barely caging it in her throat as she bucked against Lucia, instinctively trying to escape. Lucia growled, shoving Eleyn's shoulder with her free hand, pressing her back against the wall, hard.

A tiny, frustrated sound escaped her at Lucia's statement. She inhaled sharply as Lucia's teeth sank into her earlobe, sending a burning shock through her. "..A kind fool," Eleyn growled, "Just let him go."

Lucia pulled away, her expression warping into something truly ugly for a second as she breathed, "You presume to order me?" Without warning, her hand snaked out, grabbing Eleyn's chin roughly, pulling up precipitously. Eleyn couldn't even cry out, her skull exploding with pain as Lucia hauled her away from the wall, twisting her arm up hard behind her back. She wanted to shake her head, but the pounding behind her eyes kept her from it, only just catching the words that Lucia hissed into her ear, "Do it again, and you will die slowly."

Blinking hard, Eleyn allowed herself a little snarl of rage, sure that Lucia couldn't see it from her position behind her back. She jerked against Lucia's grip, wincing at the way her shoulder protested, her anger simply too strong to completely control. The lack of answer frustrated Eleyn, but she let it drop, settling for swearing to herself that if Lucia had seriously damaged Aldyn, she wouldn't live to see the sun set on the day Eleyn heard of it. She would never forgive herself, otherwise.

"Yes, my Lady," Eleyn forced herself to say, though she could hear the thread of fury that she couldn't quite cover up.

Lucia yanked up on Eleyn's arm, shoving against her back until she stepped forward. Pushing her to the vanity, Lucia murmured, "He's out of danger, girl. You are _not_." Relief rolled through Eleyn at the words. She didn't doubt their truth for a second; Lucia would have been entirely too happy to use Aldyn's capture to torment Eleyn to make a lie likely.

Eleyn grunted roughly as Lucia reached up to her neck, shoving her suddenly down to the table, her cheekbone hitting the wood with a dull thump. She squeezed her eyes shut, swallowing hard against a wave of nausea at the pain that seemed to bounce around the inside of her skull. Clenching her jaw, Eleyn tried to take stock of her situation. Aldyn was safe, but Lucia was still furious and Eleyn knew in her gut that this was going to take a truly amazing amount of grovelling to get out of - if she could, at all.

As if to prove her point, Lucia gave a growl that bordered on feral and then Eleyn found herself looking into the vanity mirror. Her head positively screamed with the pain of Lucia's hold on her hair, and all she could do was to stiffen her neck, taking the weight from her scalp. Lucia caught her reflected gaze, rasping, "Do you really care that much, then?" Eleyn gaped, mystified by the myriad implications of the question and utterly unsure which one she was supposed to take. Impatient, Lucia stepped in closer and shook Eleyn's head roughly, sending another wave of sickness through her. "_Answer me!_"

Fighting down the feeling, Eleyn opened her eyes to focus slowly on Lucia's reflection. "I don't want him to get hurt because of me," she said, working to keep her voice quiet and even, "Not beyond that." Almost surprised by her own words, Eleyn tucked them away for later. She watched the humourless grin spread across the Lady's face at her reply and suppressed a shudder.

"Such a _good_ girl," Lucia murmured, tugging Eleyn's shift up over her hips. Eleyn flushed hotly, gritting her teeth and holding herself resolutely still despite the apprehension that filled her. Then there was pain, the deep bite of Lucia's nails deep into the back of her thigh, dragging raggedly up over the tender flesh there. Eleyn choked on a cry, jolting forward in a vain attempt to get away; the grasp on her hair and the table before and beneath denied her.

Eleyn whimpered miserably in the aftermath of Lucia's attack. Her neck was stinging, head throbbing, and now her thigh burned and Eleyn was absolutely sure that Lucia was just getting started. She lowered her head to the vanity, letting her cheek press against the surface. She almost laughed as she realised that she didn't know if the cool pressure against her face felt good, or if it hurt; that had been her entire life since she the day she had been brought to Dalhamm.

"Yes, My Lady," she repeated, hearing the dull words only distantly.

Lucia snorted at Eleyn's quiet response, leaning over her to purr in her ear, "You will remember this, and remember it well." Taking a long pause, Lucia first stroked, then clawed at the small of Eleyn's back, pulling a pleading whine from her. "I _own_ you," she snarled, then pulled quickly away, shifting her hand from Eleyn's hair to press firmly against her neck, instead.

Swallowing, eyes sliding closed, "Indeed," Eleyn intoned, chalking up the renewed nausea to the pain in her head.

"_Good_," Lucia answered, a slow smile curving her lips. Eleyn grunted quietly as Lucia kneed her legs roughly apart, gasping, trying to jerk away from the touch of the Lady's fingers. She squeezed her eyes shut, turning her head toward the vanity a little, desperate to shut Lucia out as much as she could. Immobile, exposed, Eleyn grimaced at the repulsive stroking between her legs even as she breathed a sigh of relief at the loosening of Lucia's hand in her hair.

A low sound of displeasure rose in Lucia's throat as Eleyn tried to pull away; tugging hard on her hair, "Watch," the Lady commanded. Eleyn obeyed, though she kept her gaze focused slightly off Lucia. Still, she saw Lucia raise her hand to her mouth, licking her fingers before she reached between Eleyn's legs again. She bit her lip, working to conceal first her rage and disgust, then the tiny shock of pleasure as Lucia's slick fingers slid over her.

Tilting her head a bit, Lucia studied Eleyn's reflection closely. She sucked in a sharp, hissing breath between her teeth, figuring out what Eleyn was doing. "Look at_me_." Lucia growled, "Or are you afraid to see what I'm doing to you?" She pressed her thumb to Eleyn's entrance, just enough to be felt without entering her, waiting for her to look.

Eleyn set her jaw, just holding back a sigh as she shifted her gaze to meet Lucia's in the mirror. "I can feel it well enough," she returned, cursing herself for it before the words were even out. Lucia bared her teeth in a snarl, pulling her hand from Eleyn with obvious fury, her gaze travelling quickly over the vanity.

Nodding to herself, Lucia reached over to pick up her hairbrush with a small, sadistic smile. Eleyn ground her teeth together, refusing to look away from Lucia's reflection or to close her eyes, though her stomach twisted at the touch of the bristles to her cheek. The touch was light but the bristles scratched at delicate skin in a near-painful caress. Down over Eleyn's neck and back, Lucia dragged the brush, her gaze on Eleyn avid, even greedy as she took in her reaction. Eleyn fought to keep her expression passive, a task that grew ever more difficult as Lucia's intent became clear.

Lucia turned the brush in her hand, holding it upside-down, just below the head. She slid the handle slowly over the curve of Eleyn's ass, stroking it once between her legs. "You'll feel this better, then," she purred, pressing down on Eleyn's neck, watching her intently.

The touch of the handle against her shot through Eleyn's mind, tearing away her compliant resolve. Her eyes widened, her body writhing of its own will, moving frantically in an effort to escape. Lucia's smile widened, chuckling darkly at Eleyn's obvious terror as she begged, "_No!_ Please, no! I'm sorry...Lucia, _please!_"

Lucia's smile dropped precipitously at Eleyn's words, her countenance turning dark. "You _dare_ to call me by name?" she asked incredulously. Tightening her grip on Eleyn's neck until she whimpered, Lucia thrust the brush handle roughly into her. Eleyn cried out loudly, squirming desperately at the horribly _wrong_ intrusion. The angle had the cold, hard brush pressing hard against her bones, stretching her badly and bringing tears to her eyes. Lucia seemed to take pity on her, adjusting her position, and Eleyn nearly cried out again, in relief as the pain subsided. Still, it was a tiny mercy that did nothing for the humiliation she felt or the shame of her body's nascent responses.

Shoving the brush deep into her Lucia breathed, "You'd better beg my forgiveness," her voice so soft and dangerous that Eleyn didn't hesitate. Nodding fiercely, she opened her mouth to speak, horrified at the sob that escaped her, instead. She gasped in a deep breath, clamping her jaw tightly shut as she scrambled for some measure of calm, hating the tears that pricked at her eyes.

Finally getting herself under something like control, Eleyn whispered, "I'm sorry. My Lady, please...I-" Her voice broke off, another sob trying to claw its way up her throat. Lucia made a quiet, impatient noise and thrust hard into her again. Sucking in a breath, she managed to keep her grip on herself enough to continue shakily, "I forgot my place...please forgive me."

Lucia inhaled quickly at Eleyn's words, gentling the hand on her neck a tiny bit in reward. "You forgot what you deserve," she snarled, settling into a demanding pace with the brush. Confused and hurting, pressed between the hard surface below and the one inside, Eleyn simply nodded. Part of her mind screamed at her to fight, to deny Lucia this horrifying satisfaction; the greater part of her just wanted it to be over, knowing that compliance was the fastest way. She tried to crush the tiny fraction that wanted to rock back with Lucia's rhythm.

Tears welled up in Eleyn's eyes again, torn between pain, rage, and terrible guilt at the minute tendril of pleasure that curled within her. As if reading her mind, Lucia spoke poison in her ear - _mine, pleasure, whore_ - as she thrust shame into her body in a ruthless claim. Eleyn gripped the edge of the vanity, her knuckles growing white with the effort of holding herself still, despairing with the failure of her efforts to stem her rising lust.

Grinding her teeth together hard enough to make noise, Eleyn shook her head slowly, trying to shut out the low purr of Lucia's voice, to ignore the way her body quickened against her will. Images flooded Eleyn's mind, the look and sound and feel of Lucia in passion, of herself in those moments, gasping and trembling and begging for more. A whimper escaped her as her control broke and she pressed back, her cheeks burning with shame as she heard the Lady's low, triumphant laugh.

"Touch yourself, Eleyn," Lucia murmured, "I want to hear you moan," and God help her, Eleyn was grateful. She wriggled back along the table, snaking her arm over the edge and shifting her feet further apart. She gasped, moaning loudly as she slipped her hand between her legs, moving desperately as she chased her pleasure. It was wrong, so very wrong that she was writhing and whimpering there beneath the woman who tormented her so, but she didn't care. Her skin flushed with her shame but she didn't, couldn't stop. Lucia owned Eleyn, just as she said, and run though she might, Eleyn would always know that there had been _this_.

"Oh, good girl," Lucia purred, her breath feathering across Eleyn's skin, and the sound of it threw her over the edge. Rocking against Lucia, stroking herself desperately, Eleyn cried out, stiffening as her climax washed over her. Pure, blinding pleasure claimed her, tearing ragged moans and even her breath from her body. Distantly, Eleyn felt the stroking of Lucia's hand over her hair, heard the soft praise in her voice as she returned to slowly to herself. She almost smiled as she worked to catch her breath, her mind already moving ahead, anticipating the pleasures of touching Lucia in her turn.

Eleyn groaned a protest as Lucia pulled the brush from her suddenly. Bringing her arms up to the vanity top, she managed to lift herself and turn toward Lucia - just in time to see Lucia toss the brush carelessly down. It clattered loudly on the wood in the silence of the room, making Eleyn wince with the harshness of it. She looked up at Lucia, confused.

"Take it with you, and get out," the Lady commanded in a flat, hard voice, and Eleyn's stomach clenched with anger as she realised she was being dismissed. "Make sure you scrub it before morning. I don't want my hair reeking of your lust."


	6. Part 6

**Disclaimer:** This fanwork is based on characters and situations created and owned by Minekura Kazuya. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. No profit made.

* * *

Eleyn sighed as she looked around the room. Everything seemed to be in order now - as it should be, really. She'd spent the morning cleaning and straightening, not from need (she kept Lucia's bedchamber very well, as a rule) but from sheer, mind-numbing boredom. Things had been very busy around the manor of late, with harvest coming on, and Eleyn had been left to her own devices even more than usual. she had offered to help with the work around the manor, but Edda had denied her firmly, explaining that it had been absolutely forbidden.

Lady Lucia preferred Eleyn's hands soft.

With a grimace at the memory, Eleyn looked longingly out the window. It was certainly an easier life but she felt useless unless Lucia was in the room. At least then she had a little company and something to occupy her hands. They didn't even bring her the flowers and herbs for binding anymore. Her entire purpose for existence was to keep Lucia's chamber pleasant - and her bed warm. She used to blush at the thought.

Eleyn planted her hands on her hips as she mentally combed over her duties. She counted back; it had been three days since Lucia's last full bath, and it was probable that she would want one today. It was unlikely that there would be anything she could do there but Eleyn decided to check the room, anyway. It was better than sitting and staring at the walls, and Lucia _did_ like things to be in readiness. Though it couldn't hurt to be sure, Eleyn knew from experience that it could hurt very much to make a mistake.

The door opened as she moved toward it, startling a short cry from her. "Oh, my lady-" Eleyn stopped dead, her eyes widening as Aldyn of Wortham raised a finger to his lips, closing the door quickly behind him. "Aldyn," she hissed, automatically looking around, "what are you doing here?" Her voice was low, though she knew that there couldn't be anyone else around to hear them - Aldyn would never have made it to this room if there were.

"Shh," he cautioned her unnecessarily, and she clenched her jaw in irritation. "I've come to get you." Eleyn stared at him in mute incredulity. He must be serious, because he was standing there...but he simply _couldn't_ be. Clearly, Aldyn had gone mad.

Eleyn knew she should have been happy to see him, but panic overrode everything else. If Lucia discovered him, Eleyn would pay dearly for it. It wasn't something that she could expect him to know, and yet she could feel a cold fury rising in her at his thoughtlessness in coming there. After all, he could hardly be blind to the consequences to Eleyn after his own meeting with Lucia, and her reputation was rather widespread. It didn't take more sense than God gave a duck to see how badly this could go.

"You have to leave," Eleyn said, her voice shaking just a little, "If they catch you here, you'll be beaten senseless...if you're lucky." That was, of course, giving him credit for having any to begin with - something about which Eleyn was having serious doubts. She watched him step further into the room, coming toward her and raising his arms as if to embrace her. Shaking her head, Eleyn took several steps back. "Aldyn, I mean it. You have to go before you're discovered."

Aldyn stopped, dropping his arms to his sides and fixing Eleyn with a confused look. "But...I've come to take you home," he said softly, "The guards are all busy with other things, so if we go quickly, we can-"

"_No_."

Aldyn just blinked at her for a second, then, "What?"

"No," Eleyn repeated, a little more gently this time. "I'm not going with you. It's too late."

"Eleyn," Aldyn murmured, reaching out to her, "I don't care what's happened. I still want to marry you." Again, Eleyn felt that space where relief and happiness should have been, but wasn't. She could sneak off with Aldyn - maybe even succeed at getting away - but then what? They couldn't simply marry and settle down at Wortham, after all. Married or no, Eleyn was a slave of Dalhamm and Lucia would never allow a slave to deliver such a slap in the face without consequence. They could run, but Wortham would chase them as well and the chances of their remaining unfound for an entire year were just too slim.

She shook her head, "It's _too late_, Aldyn. Just forget about me and go." His nobility was a distracting irritant. Eleyn had no doubt that Aldyn meant every word he said...or thought he did, at least. Even if they managed to get away, remain hidden until they earned their freedom, Eleyn would spend every day of her life hiding herself from him, dressing in the dark and turning one side away from him so that she would never have to see his pain at her disfigurements. Certainly, Aldyn would never say a thing about it, but it would be there, all the same. Eleyn was thoroughly and permanently beyond such simple dreams of life, and she honestly didn't know if she was furious, or grateful.

"What are you saying?" he hissed, his face almost stricken. "You can't want to stay here!"

Eleyn chuckled humourlessly. It was frighteningly laughable, really. In all her life, Eleyn had never considered anything beyond the simple knowledge that she would one day be married. It was a fact and truth of life and she had thought, for a short time, that she had found a man with whom she could live in comfort, if not happiness. She had _believed_ it. Yet here he stood, and it wasn't romantic or hopeful or good. It was the action of a man without a shred of sense or concern. Certainly, it was all very well and good for Aldyn to decide that he could take whatever might come to him, but what of her?

"Can't I?" Eleyn snapped, "What have you to offer me? A year of running, followed by what? Drudgery and dropping babes, tied to a man fool enough to be here right now." Her expression deadened suddenly, her voice going flat and cold as she continued, "I belong to the Lady now, and it is no worse a fate."

Aldyn was quiet for a long moment, and the pain in his eyes was very nearly enough to break Eleyn's resolve. "But," he murmured brokenly, "I love you, Eleyn."

Surprisingly, the words did not melt Eleyn's heart, or even soften it. Rather, she began to laugh. Quietly at first, then growing in volume until she had to clap a hand over her mouth to escape hearing. Love, was it? How utterly ridiculous! Struggling, Eleyn eventually managed to get herself under control, taking a deep breath before she could speak.

"I think not," she returned, a deep, hot rage beginning to build within her now. "You cannot love what you do not know. We met thrice in the market before you asked for my hand. You did not know me then, and you sure as hell don't know me now. I would sooner play whore to the Lady for the rest of my life than to be your wife, Aldyn of Wortham. Mark me, that is the truth."

Aldyn stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like some great fish as her words sank in. She could almost see his heart breaking. No matter - it would heal soon enough, with another in his bed; his 'love' was a trick of the light, nothing more.

"Now leave," Eleyn said, her voice low and steady in the quiet of the room, "and never come back. If you do, I swear that I will call the guards myself." She watched as his pain shifted, slowly consumed by a dawning anger. Wondering if he would strike her, Eleyn waited, bracing herself for the possibility. Aldyn's hands curled into fists at his sides but he made no move toward her, visibly shoving his hurt and fury down. He looked at her, his eyes filled with all the things that she didn't want to hear, and then he turned and made his way back to the door. Eleyn watched him go, earnestly hoping for his swift escape and safety. He had been a good man, before she had become a woman.

One day, Lucia of Dalhamm would pay for that.


End file.
